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DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL 
ALLUSIONS 



Uniform with tiiis Volume. 

Dictionary of Quotations (English). 

By Col. P. H. Dalbiac. 

Dictionary of Quotations (Classical). 
By T. B. Harbottle. 

Dictionary of Quotations (French and 
Italian). By Col. P. H. Dalbiac and 
T. B. Harbottle. 

Wliat Great Men have said about 
Great Men. By William Wale. 

Famous Sayings of Great Men. 

By Edward Latham. [S/ior^ly. 

Dictionary of Quotations (German and 
Spanish). By CoL. P. H. Dalbiac and 
T. B. Harbottle. [In -brep. 



London : SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & CO., Ltd. 



DICTIONARY OF 
HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



By 

THOMAS BENFIELD HARBOTTLE 

Author of" Dictioi^ary of Quotations {Classical) " and 

Co- Author of " Dictionary of Quotations 

{Fretich and Italian) " 




LONDON 

SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & CO Ltd 

PATERNOSTER SQUARE 

1903 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL 
ALLUSIONS 



Abbeville, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the English 
Barons and Louis IX of France, 
signed in 1259, shortly after the 
establishment in England of 
the Council of Fifteen. By its 
provisions England retained 
Bordeaux, Bayonne, and Gas- 
cony, and surrendered all claim 
to Normandy, Anjou, Poitou, 
and Maine. The French king 
agreed to supply a sum of money 
sufficient to maintain for two 
years five hundred knights, to 
be employed for the benefit of 
England or of the Church. 

Abecedarians. 

A branch of the Anabaptists, 
founded in Germany in the six- 
teenth century by Stork, a 
disciple of Luther. They held 
that all human knowledge was 
valueless, and therefore declined 
to learn even the alphabet. 

Abencerrages. 

A noble Moorish family of 
Granada, in the fifteenth cen- 
tury. They were accused by a 
rival family, the Zegris, of 
plotting against Abdallah, King 
of Granada, and were lured into 
the Alhambra, where they were 
barbarously massacred. Thirty- 
six members of the family 
perished. 

Abhorrers. 

Another name for the Tories 
in the reign of Charles II. They 



were so called from their use 
of the word in their addresses to 
the king, protesting against the 
petitions in favour of summon- 
ing' a; Parliament in 1679. 

Abingdon Law. 

Execution first and trial after- 
wards. The phrase is derived 
from the methods adopted by 
Major-General Brown, of the 
Commonwealth Army, at Abing 
don, during the Civil War. It 
was his habit, it is said, to 
deal in this fashion with Malig- 
nants who fell into his hands. 

Abjuration, Act of (England). 

An Act passed in 1702, im- 
posing upon all who took office 
under the State, an oath ab- 
juring the House of Stuart, 
and binding them to support 
each successor to the throne 
named in the Act of Settlement. 

Abjuration, Act of (Netherlands). 
The declaration of independ- 
ence made at The Hague in 1 58 1 
by the deputies of the United 
Provinces of the Netherlands, 
deposing Philip 11. It did not, 
however, substitute any other 
form of government. 

Abo, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Russia and 
Sweden, signed in 1743, after 
the surrender of the Swedish 
army at Helsingfors. Russia 
acquired Finland, as far as the 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



river Kiiimer, and secured the 
election of Adolphus Frederick 
of Holstein as Crown Prince 
of Sweden, in the place of the 
Prince Royal of Denmark. 

Abolitionists. 

The extreme anti - slavery- 
party in the United States, 
in i860. They demanded the 
total abolition of slavery, and 
would agree to no compromise 
with the South, even at the cost 
of civil war. 

Absentee Tax. 

A tax imposed upon absentee 
landlords in Ireland, in the 
reign of Richard II. An attempt 
was made to reimpose it in 1773, 
but unsuccessfully, mainly owing 
to the opposition of Edmund 
Burke. 

Academic Legion. 

A body of armed students 
who took an active part in the 
revolutionary disturbances in 
Vienna in 1848. 

Acadia. 

The original name of Nova 
Scotia. 

Acte Additionel. 

A proclamation by Napoleon, 
on his return from Elba in 181 5, 
in which he accepted, with some 
slight modifications, the Charte 
of Louis XVIIL 

Adam Kok, Treaty with. 

A treaty made with Adam 
Kok, a Griqua chief, by Sir 
Peregrine Maitland in 1845. 
One of its provisions, which later 
caused considerable trouble in 
the Orange River Sovereignty, 
prevented the alienation of land 
by the Griquas to Europeans 
over a considerable portion of 
Kok's territory. The treaty 
was denounced by Great Britain 



in 1856, after the Convention of 
Bloemfontein. 

Addled Parliament. 

A Parliament summoned by 
James I, in 161 5. An attempt 
by certain of its members, who 
were dubbed the Undertakers, 
to control it in the interests of 
the Court, failed signally, and 
the king promptly dissolved it> 

Adendorff Trek. 

A threatened trek of a large 
number of Transvaal Boers, 
under a leader named Aden- 
dorff, into Mashonaland, in 
1 89 1. Sir Henry Loch raised 
a protest, on the ground that 
the trek would be an infringe- 
ment of the Swaziland Conven- 
tion of 1890, and an act of 
hostility towards Great Britain, 
whereupon President Kruger 
issued a proclamation forbidding 
all Transvaal burghers to take 
part in the movement. 

Adis Ababa, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed May 15, 1902, 
between Great Britain and 
Ethiopia (Abyssinia), It pro- 
vides for the rectification and 
delimitation of the frontier be- 
tween Abyssinia and the Soudan. 
The Negus undertakes not to 
sanction any damming of the 
Sobat or the Blue Nile without 
the consent of Great Britain, 
grants a lease of a tract of 
country on the Baro river, for 
the formation of a commercial 
entrepot, and gives Great Britain 
the right to connect Uganda 
and the Soudan by a railway 
running through Abyssinia. A 
further treaty, to which Italy is 
also a party, provides for the 
rectification of the frontiers of 
Eritrea with Abyssinia and the 
Soudan. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Adjutators. 

Delegates elected by each 
regiment of the Parliamentary 
Army in 1647, to act with the 
officers in placing their demands 
and grievances before Parlia- 
ment prior to disbandment. 

Admonition, 

A document issued by Thomas 
Cartwright, the leader of the 
Puritans, in 1572, demanding 
the establishment of Presbyter- 
ianism, as being a divine in- 
stitution. 

Admonition, Cardinal Allen's. 

A pamphlet addressed to the 
" Nobility and People of Eng- 
land," bringing a series of 
scandalous charges against 
Queen Elizabeth, issued by 
Cardinal Allen in 1588. 

Adonis of Fifty. 

A nickname of George IV. 

Adrian, Bull of. 

A bull issued by Adrian IV, 
in 1 1 56, granting the sovereignty 
of Ireland to Henry II. in re- 
turn for his undertaking to 
support the Papal authority, and 
to pay Peter's Pence. 

Adrianople, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Russia 
and Turkey, signed in 1829, 
following the capture by Russia 
of the fortresses of Varna, 
Silistria, and Adrianople. It 
gave Russia control over the 
mouths of the Danube, and the 
appointment of protector of the 
privileges of Moldavia and 
Wallachia. 

Adriatic, Marriage of the. 

An ancient ceremony cele- 
brated yearly at Venice on 
Ascension Day, and typifying 
the greatness of Venice as a 



maritime power. The Doge 
was conveyed in his state barge 
to the sea, and threw into the 
water a consecrated ring. The 
ceremony was established in 
1 1 74 by Pope Alexander III, in 
memory of the victory of the 
Venetians over the fleet of Bar- 
barossa. 
Adscriptus Glebas. 

A person who was compelled 
to remain on his lord's estate. 
The condition of a villein or 
serf in feudal times. 
Adullamites. 

A small section of the Liberal 
party, headed by Mr. Lowe 
(Lord Sherbrooke) who opposed 
Mr. Gladstone's Reform Bill of 
1866. The name had its 
origin in a speech of John 
Bright, who likened the mal- 
contents to those who took 
refuge in the Cave of AduUam. 
The term "cave " is now applied 
to any small knot of dissentients 
within the ranks of one of the 
great political parties. 

Adventurers of 1642. 

The gentlemen and others 
who had advanced money to 
the Government during the 
Irish Rebellion of 1641, to be 
repaid by grants of forfeited 
land. In 1653 these claims 
were recognized by grants in 
various parts of Leinster and 
Munster. 

Afrancesados. 

The partizans of Napoleon 
in Spain and the Spanish 
Colonies. 

Afrikander Bond. 

An organization formed in 
Cape Colony in 1881, with the 
avowed object of securing for 
the Afrikanders a larger share 
of political power. Its moving 



4 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



spirit was Mr. Hofmeyr, a mem- 
ber of the Cape Ministry. It 
has taken a leading part in Cape 
pohtics, generally in opposition 
to British rule, and during the 
Boer war of 1 899-1902 gave 
strong evidence of disloyalty. 

Agraviados. 

The Catalan insurgents, in 
1825, called themselves the 
Agraviados, or men with a 
grievance. 

Agrarian League. 

A league formed in Berlin in 
1893, to advocate bimetalism 
and a return to protection. In 
the latter portion of its pro- 
gramme, it has had considerable 
success. 

Agricultural Alliance Bill. 

The name given to a bill 
passed by the Prussian Parlia- 
ment in 1896, at the instigation 
of the Agricultural Alliance, It 
prohibited time bargains in 
corn, mining shares, etc., and 
provided for the regulation of the 
Berlin Bourse, Corn Exchange, 
and other Exchanges, by a com- 
mitteee under a Government 
official. To escape these vexa- 
tious restrictions, the produce 
brokers deserted the Exchange 
and formed a Free Commercial 
Union, meeting in another 
building to carry on their busi- 
ness. 

Aids. 

Taxes levied on their feuda- 
tories by the English kings, 
prior to Magna Charta. By 
that instrument, however, it was 
provided that they were to be 
granted only by the Great 
Council, except in three speci- 
fied cases : the delivery of the 
king from prison, the knighting 



of the king's eldest son, or the 
marriage of his eldest daughter. 

Aigun, Convention of. 

A treaty between Russia and 
China, signed in 1858, by which 
Russia obtained all the territory 
eastward of the Ussuri river to 
the Japan Sea, and fixed her 
southern boundary at the 
frontier of Corea. 

Aix-la-Chapelle, Congress of. 

A congress held in 1818, and 
attended by plenipotentiaries 
from Great Britain, Prussia, 
Austria and Russia, to arrange 
for the evacuation of France by 
the army of occupation, and the 
readmission of France, as one 
of the Great Powers, to the 
Councils of Europe. 

Aix-la-Chapelle, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the Triple 
Alliance (England, Holland and 
Sweden) and Louis XIV of 
France, signed in May, 1668. 
Spain, which acceded to the 
Treaty, received Franche Comte 
from France, and surrendered 
certain frontier towns, including 
Lille, Courtray, and Tournay. 
The Triple Alliance were thus 
enabled to checkmate Louis' 
designs in the Low Countries. 

Aix-la-Chapelle, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed by England, 
France, Austria, Spain, and 
Holland, in 1748, putting an 
end to the War of the Austrian 
Succession. Territorially, its 
provisions in the main amounted 
to a return to the status quo 
ante, but it was provided that 
the Pretender should be expelled 
from France, that Spain should 
renew the Asiento treaty with 
England, and that Austria was 
to receive the acknowledgment 
by the signatories of the Duke 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



of Lorraine, husband of Maria 
Theresa, as Emperor, in return 
for the cession of Silesia to 
Prussia. 

Akerman, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Russia and 
Turkey, supplementary to the 
Treaty of Bucharest, signed in 
1826. It provided that the 
Hospodars of Moldavia and 
Wallachia should rule inde- 
pendently, each with a council 
of Boyars, and should not be 
deposed without the Czar's con- 
sent ; that Servia should elect her 
own princes, and that Russia 
should occupy the East coast of 
the Black Sea, and should have 
free access to all Turkish waters. 

Alabama. 

A privateer fitted out in Eng- 
land during the American Civil 
War, to prey upon the commerce 
of the Northern States. After 
the war the United States made 
an enormous claim for compensa- 
tion, which was submitted to 
arbitration, with the result that 
England was condemned to pay 
about three and a half millions 
sterHng. 

Alais, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the Cathohcs 
and the Huguenots in France, 
signed in 1629, after the fall of 
La Rochelle. By this treaty the 
Huguenots were finally de- 
prived of their political rights. 

Alaric Cottin. 

A sobriquet of Frederick the 
Great of Prussia, given him by 
Voltaire. It infers that he was 
a great soldier but a very poor 
poet. 

Alascans. 

The name given to the foreign 
Protestant refugees in Eng- 
land during the reign of Ed- 



ward VI. The name is derived 
from Laski, the superintendent of 
foreign church communities. 
Alaska Purchase. 

By a treaty between the 
United States and Russia, in 
1867, the latter Power surren- 
dered all her possessions on the 
continent of the United States, 
together with the Probyloff Is- 
lands, in consideration of a 
payment of 7,200,000 dols. 

Alaska Treaty. 

A treaty between Great Brit- 
ain and the United States, 
signed in 1903, by which it was 
agreed to submit the question 
of the boundary between Alaska 
and Canada to a commission of 
six jurists, three to be nomin- 
ated by each side. This ques- 
tion had been pending since the 
cession of Alaska to the United 
States by Russia in 1867, the 
doubt as to the true frontier 
arising from the very indefinite 
terms of the Anglo-Russian Con- 
vention of 1825, 

Albanian League. 

A league founded by the 
Porte in 1880, to oppose the 
aspirations of Montenegro to- 
wards an increase of territory. 
In 1887 the league presented to 
the Sultan a petition for auto- 
nomy, under an Albanian 
governor, and receiving no 
answer, rose in rebellion. The 
outbreak, however, was easily 
suppressed. 

Albany Regency. 

A coterie of Democrats who 
from 1820 to 1854 exercised a 
controlling influence over the 
politics of New York State, and 
had consequently considerable 
power in national politics. 
Their headquarters were at 
Albany. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Albigenses. 

A sect of dissenters from the 
Romish doctrine, settled in the 
South of France, under the pro- 
tection of Raymond, Count of 
Toulouse, their name being de- 
rived from the town of Albi. 
Innocent III organiced a crusade 
against them in 121 5, under the 
leadership of Simon de Montfort, 
and at the siege of Beziers it is 
estimated that 15,000 Albi- 
genses were put to the sword. 
They nevertheless held out until 
1229, when Raymond capitu- 
lated, and the Inquisition was 
established in Toulouse. The sect, 
though dispersed, was not des- 
troyed, and its members carried 
the seeds of Protestantism into 
Bohemia, Germany and Eng- 
land. 

Alcantara, Knights of. 

A Spanish order of religious 
chivalry, established in 1177, 
and directed against Moham- 
medanism. 

Ale Conner. 

An official appointed annually 
by the Court-Leet to test and 
examine the ale sold in the 
borough, and to prosecute dis- 
honest vendors. 

Alexander of Bulgaria, Abduc- 
tion of. 
A conspiracy of the pro-Russian 
party in Bulgaria, in 1886. 
Prince Alexander, whose policy 
was to free his country from 
Russian influence, was kid- 
napped by some Bulgarian 
officers, and carried off in his 
yacht to Russian territory. 
An attempt was then made to 
establish a pro-Russian govern- 
ment under M. Zankoff, but 
the sympathies of the Bulgar- 
ians were with the Prince, and 



M. Stambuloff set up a Council 
of Regency, and demanded his 
return. The Prince came back, 
but with nerves completely 
shattered by his experiences, or, 
as was alleged, by the adminis- 
tration of certain drugs, and 
he shortly afterwards abdicated. 
There seems little doubt that 
the Russian Foreign Office was 
privy to the plot. 

Alexander of the North. 

A sobriquet of Charles XII of 
Sweden (1682-17 18). 

Alexander, The Albanian. 

Iskander Beg (George Cas- 
triot, 1404-1467) was so called. 

Alexander, The English. 

A sobriquet of Henry V. 

Alexander Newski, Order of. 

A Russian order of knight- 
hood, founded by Peter the Great 
in 1722. 

Alien Act. 

An act passed in 1793, to deal 
with the enormous influx of 
foreigners into England, due 
to the French Revolution. Aliens 
were required to state the object 
of their visit, to register their 
names, and to obtain passports 
for moving to and fro. 

Alien and Sedition Laws. 

A series of Acts of Congress 
passed in 1798, to deal with the 
situation caused by the residence 
in the United States of a large 
number of naturalized French- 
men who sympathized with 
France in the difficulties then 
pending between the two 
countries. They gave the 
President the power to banish 
undesirable aliens. They were 
very unpopular, and were, in 
fact, never enforced with any 
stringency, but are noticeable 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



as having led to the first 
declaration of States Rights, 
Kentucky and Virginia declar- 
ing them unconstitutional. 

Aliwal North, First Treaty of. 

A treaty, signed in 1858 be- 
tween the Orange Free State 
and Moshesh, the Basuto chief, 
through the mediation of Sir 
George Grey. This treaty 
rectified the frontier somewhat 
in favour of the Basutos, and 
made other provisions tending 
to the maintenance of peace, 

Aliwal North, Second Treaty of. 
A treaty between Great 
Britain and the Orange Free 
State, signed in 1869, seftling 
the boundary between the two 
contracting parties in Basuto- 
land. After the annexation by 
Great Britain of the territories 
of Moshesh, the Orange Free 
State claimed the boundary line 
fixed by the treaty of Thaba 
Bosigo, while Great Britain 
claimed that in existence before 
the war of 1865. A compromise 
was eventually arrived at, and 
the frontier thus fixed is that 
at present existing between the 
Orange River Colony and the 
Cape. 

All Red Cable. 

A cable route from England 
to Australia, touching only 
British soil, projected by the 
Otta.wa Conference in 1894. 
The scheme met with the ap- 
proval and support of the 
Imperial Parliament, and the 
cable was completed in 1902. 

Allgemeines Landrecht. 

The Prussian Code of Law, 
amplified from the Landrecht 
of Frederick the Great. 



Alliance Society. 

A political association formed 
in Belgium in 1897, with the 
object of uniting the different 
branches of the Liberal Party. 

Allodial Lands. 

Among the Franks, lands 
held in absolute proprietorship, 
as opposed to lands held as 
fiefs, and dependent upon a 
superior. They were subject 
to no burden, except the call 
to arms for national defence, and 
passed at death to all the chil- 
dren equally, or, failing issue, to 
the next of kin. 

Alte Fritz. 

Frederick the Great of 
Prussia is constantly referred 
to by this sobriquet. 

Althing. 

The general assembly of the 
Norsemen, {See also Thing.) 

Alumbrados. 

A sect of mystics, founded in 
Spain about 1520, the fore- 
runners of the better known 
lUuminati of Germany. They 
were finally suppressed by the 
Inquisition. 

Amalfitan Code. 

A code of maritime law, drawn 
up during the First Crusade by 
the mercantile community of 
Amalfi. It is the oldest known 
maritime code, 

Amboise, Conspiracy of. 

A plot on the part of Conde and 
the Bourbons, in 1560, to seize 
the Guises, and the King, 
Francis II, who was a mere 
puppet in their hands. The 
plot was discovered, and several 
of the leaders were executed. 

Amboise, Convention of. 

An agreement between Cathe- 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



rine de' Medici and the Hugue- 
nots in 1563, after the first civil 
war, by which the Huguenots 
were allowed the free exercise of 
their religion. 

Amboyna, Massacre of. 

The murder of ten English- 
men, in the employment of the 
India Company, at the Dutch 
factory of Amboyna in 1623. 

America Act. 

An Act passed in 1775, con- 
solidating all the previous penal 
acts relating to the American 
Colonies. It declared that all 
American vessels were lawful 
prizes, and that all Americans 
captured in them, or elsewhere, 
could be forced to take service 
against America. Commission- 
ers were appointed to receive 
the submission of the revolted 
colonies, but no provisions were 
made for the redress of griev- 
ances. 

America, Discovery of. 

According to the Norse Sagas, 
the discovery of America should 
be placed to the credit of the 
Vikings, who made five ex- 
peditions to the coast between 
985 and loii, the first being 
that of Eric the Red, who settled 
in Greenland in 986, and the 
most famous that of Thorfinn 
Karlsefne, about 1007. The 
rediscovery by Columbus took 
place in 1492. 

American Customs Act. 

An Act passed in 1764, levying 
customs duties on goods im- 
ported into the American 
Colonies. These duties were 
to be levied for the benefit of 
England, and the proceeds there- 
of paid into the English Treasury. 
The assertion of this right to tax 
the Colonies for the benefit of 



the Mother Country may be 
considered the cause of the loss 
of the American Colonies. 

American-Japanese Treaty. 

A treaty negotiated between the 
Shogun and Commodore Perry 
on behalf of the United States 
in 1854, by which Japan opened 
the ports of Yokohama, Kobe, 
Nagasaki, and Hakodate to 
foreign commerce. Foreigners 
had been excluded from Japan 
for 216 years before this date, 
with the exception of the Dutch, 
who however were strictly con- 
fined to their factory at De- 
shima. 

American-Spanish Treaty. 

A treaty signed in 1898, at 
the close of the war, by which 
Spain surrendered her sove- 
reign rights over Cuba, and 
ceded Porto Rico and her other 
West Indian possessions. The 
United States undertook to 
pay twenty million dollars for 
the Philippines and Sulu 
Islands, but did not assume any 
responsibility for the Cuban 
debt. 

Ami des Hommes. 

A sobriquet of the Marquis 
de Mirabeau (1715-1789). 

Ami du Peuple. 

Jean Paul Marat, the French 
revolutionary leader, was known 
as the Friend of the People. It 
was also the title of the journal 
which he edited. 

Amiens, Award of. 

The award of Louis IX of 
France, in 1264, in the dispute 
between Henry III of England 
and his Barons, which had been 
referred to the arbitration of the 
French King. He pronounced 
entirely in favour of the Crown, 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



annulling the Provisions of Ox- 
ford, especially with regard, to 
the King's right to employ- 
aliens as governors of his castles. 
Also known as the Mise of 
Amiens, 

Amiens, Peace of. 

A treaty signed by France and 
England, in 1801, after the 
defeat of the French army in 
Egypt. England restored all 
her conquests from France, 
Spain and Holland, excepting 
Ceylon and Trinidad. Both 
parties agreed to the evacuation 
of Egypt, and the independence 
of Portugal was guaranteed. 
This peace was of very short 
duration, England and France 
being at war again in 1803. 

Amistad Case. 

The case of a Spanish slaver in 
1839, in which the slaves had 
broken out and seized the ship. 
She was afterwards captured by 
a U.S. cruiser, and the Supreme 
Court declared that the seizure 
of the vessel by the slaves was 
not an act of piracy. 

Amour, Loi d'. 

The name ironically applied 
to a severely repressive measure 
against the Press, introduced 
in the French Chamber by 
Peyronnet in 1827. 

Amoureux, Guerre des. 

The name given to the war 
between Henry III and Henry 
of Navarre in 1580. It arose 
purely out of a court intrigue, 
and its only event of importance 
was the capture of Cahors by 
the Huguenots. 

Ampoule, La Sainte. 

The Holy Vase, containing the 
consecrated oil with which the 
French kings were anointed 



at their coronation at Reims. 
It was preserved in the Church 
of Saint Remi in that city. 

Anabaptists. 

A fanatical sect which had 
its rise in Westphalia, early in 
the sixteenth century. In 1535 
the Anabaptists seized the city 
of Miinster, and under their 
leader Boccold, otherwise John 
of Leyden, who had arrogated 
to himself royal prerogatives, 
they held out for some time 
against the forces of the Bishop 
of Miinster. They were, how- 
ever, eventually overpowered, 
and their leaders put to death. 
Among other extreme doctrines, 
they advocated communism and 
polygamy. 

Anarchist Riots, Chicago. 

Riots arising out of the Labour 
agitation in Chicago in the 
spring of 1886. The Anar- 
chists took advantage of the 
disturbed condition of the city, 
and in the course of a meeting 
which they summoned, a bomb 
was thrown at the police, which 
was followed by shooting. 
Sixty poHce were wounded. 
Seven of the rioters, mostly 
Germans, were convicted of 
murder. 

Ancients, Council of. 

The second chamber of the 
French Directory (i 794-1 799). 
It was composed of 250 members. 

Ancon, Treaty of. 

A treaty of peace between 
Chile and Peru, putting an end 
to the War of the Pacific, signed 
in 1883. Chile obtained by this 
treaty and one concluded shortly 
afterwards with Bolivia, the 
coast region of the latter state, 
and the district of Tarapaca in 



lo DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Peru. She further secured impor- 
tant concessions with regard to 
the guano deposits. 

Andrassy Note. 

A note of remonstrance pre- 
pared by Count Andrassy, the 
Austrian Foreign Minister, and 
addressed to the Porte in 1876 
by the Powers signatory of the 
Treaty of Paris, insisting on 
Turkey fulfilling her engage- 
ments. 
Anes, Journee des. 

The name given by the French 
to the defeat of the Papal Army, 
under the Duke of Urbino, near 
Bologna, on May 22, 1571, by 
the Bolognese and the French 
men-at-arms. The name was 
given to this battle on account 
of the enormous number of 
baggage animals captured. 

Anglo-Chinese Agreement, 1902. 
An agreement between Great 
Britain and China providing for 
the abolition of Likin, and an 
increase of duties at the port of 
entry, to compensate for the 
loss of revenue thus incurred. 
This agreement, however, can 
only come into operation if the 
other nations having commercial 
treaties with China agree to the 
increase of the import duties. 

Anglo-Dutch Treaty, 1872. 

A treaty by which Holland 
surrendered to Great Britain all 
her possessions on the Gold 
Coast. 

Anglo-French Agreement, 1896. 
An agreement with respect to 
Siam, by which Great Britain 
agreed to the cession to France 
of Mongain, and a strip of 
territory, twenty-five kilometres 
wide, on the right bank of the 
Mekong. Both parties agreed 
not to invade the territory 



left to Siam by this arrange- 
ment, and it was further stipu- 
lated that any commercial privi- 
leges in Yunnan and Sze-Chuan 
accorded by China to either 
nation should be common to 
both. 

Anglo-German Agreement, 1 890. 
An agreement, fixing the 
limits of the spheres of influence 
of the two Powers in East, West, 
and South-West Africa, with 
the exception of the southern 
limit of Walfisch Bay, left open 
for further inquiry. The agree- 
ment further provided for the 
cession of Heligoland to Ger- 
many, and the recognition by 
the latter of Great Britain's 
protectorate over Zanzibar. 

Anglo-German Agreement, 1900. 

An agreement, also known 
as the Yang-tse Agreement, 
signed May 16, 1900, defining 
the policy of the two Powers in 
China. It was agreed to sup- 
port the policy of the " Open 
Door," and to permit free 
access for all nations to the ports, 
rivers and littorals where the 
signatories have influence ; to 
refrain from seeking special 
territorial advantages, and to 
oppose the grant of such to 
other Powers, the right being 
reserved to concert measures 
in the event of such advantages 
being sought. Germany has 
since declared that she does not 
consider this agreement to 
have any bearing on the Russian 
occupation of Manchuria. 

Anglo-Italian Agreement, 1885. 
An agreement by which Great 
Britain recognizes Italy's rights 
to the East Coast of Africa 
between Massowah and Obock, 
and further agrees to give her 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS ii 



her moral support in Tripoli. 
Italy in return undertakes the 
same friendly of&ces for Great 
Britain in Egypt. 

Anglo- Japanese Agreement, 1902. 

An agreement signed in 
London, January 30, 1902, by 
which the relations of the 
two Powers in the 'China seas 
are defined. It is provided 
that if one of the signato- 
ries be involved in war, in 
defence of her interests in 
these regions, the other shall 
maintain a strict neutrality, but 
that if the belligerent be at- 
tacked by a second Power, the 
other signatory shall join her 
ally, and that the war shall 
thenceforward be conducted in 
common, and peace made only 
by mutual agreement. It is 
further stipulated that neither 
party shall enter into a separate 
agreement with another Power, 
to the prejudice of the joint 
interests of the allies, these 
interests being defined as the 
maintenance of the territorial 
integrity of China and Korea, 
and the securing therein equal 
opportunities for the commerce 
of all nations. 

Anglo- Japanese Treaty, 1895. 

A treaty between Great Brit- 
ain and Japan, signed in 1895, 
abolishing extra-territorial juris- 
diction in Japan for British 
subjects. Great Britain was 
thus the first European nation 
to acknowledge the entry of 
Japan into the comity of nations. 
The treaty became operative in 
1899. 

Anglo-Portuguese Treaty, 1891. 

Following the disturbances 
on the Mashonaland border, 
where a collision had taken 



place between Portuguese troops 
and British South African Police, 
an ultimatum was despatched 
to Portugal, demanding the 
withdrawal of her troops from 
the disputed territory. A treaty 
was subsequently signed de- 
limiting the spheres of influence 
of the two Powers and declaring 
the navigation of the Shire and 
the Zambesi open to all nations, 
while Portugal agreed to facili- 
tate communication by these 
and other river and land routes. 

Anglo-Russian Convention, 1825. 
A convention by which it was 
agreed that both Powers should 
enjoy equal fishing rights in the 
Pacific Ocean. A line of de- 
marcation was also drawn be- 
tween Alaska and British Colum- 
bia, but it was never properly de- 
marcated, and the vagueness of 
the boundary has been a fruit- 
ful source of dissension be- 
tween England and the United 
States, probably to be ended by 
the Alaska Treaty of 1903. 

Ankarstrom's Conspiracy. 

A conspiracy of Swedish 
nobles, headed by Counts Rib- 
bing and Horn and Captain 
Ankarstrom, to assassinate Gus- 
tavus III of Sweden. Captain 
Ankarstrom, who had a per- 
sonal grievance against the king, 
shot him at a masquerade in 
the Opera House at Stockholm 
on March 16, 1792. 

Annates. 

The first year's income of a 
benefice, claimed as tribute by 
the Popes. This and all other 
tributes to the Roman See were 
abolished in England in the 
reign of Henry VIII. by the 
Annates Act, passed in 1534- 



12 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Annunziata. 

An Italian order of knight- 
hood, holding the third place 
(after the Garter and the 
Golden Fleece) among the 
orders of chivalry. It was 
founded by Amadeus V of 
Savo}?- in 1362, and has been 
twice remodelled, namely, by 
Charles III in 15 18, and by 
Victor Emmanuel in 1869. It 
is restricted to twenty members, 
exclusive of royal knights. 

Annus Mirabilis. 

The year 1666, famous in 
English history for two decisive 
victories over the Dutch fleet, 
and for the Great Fire of London. 
Dryden's poem of this name 
commemorates these events, 

Anti-Corn Law League. 

An association founded in 
Manchester in 1838, to work 
for the repeal of the Corn 
Laws, which imposed heavy 
duties on imported corn. Its 
leaders were Richard Cobden 
and Charles Villiers. The agita- 
tion bore fruit in 1846, in which 
year the Act repealing the Corn 
Laws was passed. 

Anti-federalists. 
See Federalists. 

Antigone, The Modern. 

Marie Ther^se, the daughter 
of Louis XVI, was so called. 

Anti-Parnellites. 

The majority of the Irish 
Parliamentary Party, who 
deposed Mr. Parnell from the 
leadership, after the O'Shea 
divorce case, at the bidding of 
Mr. Gladstone and the Irish 
Bishops. 

Anti-Remonstrants. 

A party among the Irish 
Catholics, who declined to sign 



the Petition of Remonstrance, 
drawn up by Peter Walsh, in 
1666, protesting against the 
belief prevalent in England 
that toleration of Catholicism 
was incompatible with the 
safety of the State. 

Anti-Semitism. 

An anti-Jewish crusade 
which broke out in Eastern 
Europe in the latter part of 
the nineteenth century. It was 
especially virulent in Russia and 
Austria, while in Germany an 
Anti-Semitic League was formed 
in Berlin in 1880, to "prevent 
the Judification of Germany." 
The Judenhetze, as it was 
called, was carried to such 
lengths as to call for the inter- 
ference of the Emperor. Still 
later the crusade against the 
Jews extended to France, where 
the anti-Semitic party is strong. 
As a consequence of this perse- 
cution, thousands of Jews have 
emigrated from the Continent 
to England and to the United 
States. 

Anti-Slavery Society. 

A society formed at Phila- 
delphia in 1833, under the 
presidency of William Lloyd 
Garrison, to work for the 
abolition of slavery in the 
United States. It was dissolved 
in 1870, having accomplished 
its object. 

Anziani. 

The Council of the Ancients 
of Florence, established about 
the middle of the thirteenth 
century, to control all matters 
relating to the government of 
the State. It consisted of 
fourteen leading citizens. 

Apologie of William of Orange. 

A justification of his actions. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 13 



presented by William of Orange 
to the States-General of Holland 
in 1580, in reply to the pro- 
scription edict of Philip II. 
The States declared Philip's 
charges against the Prince to 
be without foundation. 

Appanages (France). 

The provision made for the 
younger sons of the French 
Kings. It consisted of feudal 
lands held by the Crown. 

Appanages (Russia). 

The Russian Imperial estates 
are so called. 

Apparel, Statutes of. 

A series of sumptuary laws, 
passed about 1540, regulating 
the dress of the labouring and 
farming classes. 

Appeals, Act of. 

An Act passed in 1533, under 
Henry VIII, declaring the 
Church of England capable of 
dealing with its own spiritual 
questions, and forbidding ap- 
peals to any dignitary higher 
than the Archbishop. 

Apprentices, Statute of. 

A statute of Elizabeth, passed 
in 1 563, by which no person was 
permitted to exercise a trade in 
England unless he had previously 
served an apprenticeship to it of 
seven years. 

Apprenticeship (Transvaal). 

This question was much de- 
bated in England in the early 
seventies, some people alleging 
that the apprenticeship of black 
children was a covert form of 
slavery, especially as indentures 
were transferable before a land- 
drost. On the annexation of the 
country in 1877, however, . it 
was found that the charge was 
quite groundless. 



Arabi's Rebellion. 

This revolt arose originally 
from a quarrel between the 
Circassian and the Arab officers 
of the Egyptian Army in 1881. 
Three Arab colonels, one of 
them Arabi, headed a successful 
mutiny, demanding a change 
at the Ministry of War, which 
was controlled entirely by the 
Circassians. Later in the year 
further trouble arose, and Arabi, 
supported by the whole army, 
obtained the appointment of 
Under Secretary, and subse- 
quently that of War Minister. 
By June, 1882, he was practi- 
cally a military dictator, and 
commenced fortifying Alex- 
andria. An ultimatum from 
the British Government was 
without effect, and Alexandria 
was bombarded by the British 
fleet. The defeat of Arabi at 
Tel-el-Kebir put an end to the 
rebellion. 

Aragon, Privilege of. 

A charter granted to the 
nobles of Aragon by Alfonso III 
in 1287. It gave them a con- 
stitutional right to federate 
against the king, if he infringed 
their immunities, and at need 
to depose him and elect a 
successor. The Privilege was 
withdrawn by Pedro IV in 1348. 

Arbitration Court. 

See Hague Congress. 

Arbitrations. 

See Alabama, Amiens, Beh- 
ring Sea, Caroline Islands, Keate, 
San Juan, Venezuela. 
Argonauts of Forty-nine. 

The name given to the early 
settlers in California after the 
discovery of gold in 1849. 
They are also called Forty- 



14 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Arima, Rebellion of. 

A rising of his dependents 
against the Daimio of Arima, 
which was joined by a large 
number of Japanese Christians. 
The rebels were finally subdued 
in 1658, the Shogun having had 
recourse to the Dutch for help, 
and the result was the complete 
suppression of Christianity in 
Japan. 

Arkansas Civil War. 

A dispute, in 1874, between the 
factions of Brooks and Baxter, 
each of whom claimed to be the 
duly elected Governor of Ar- 
kansas and was backed by 
an armed force, dignified by 
the name of the State Militia, 
It was found necessary to call 
out United States troops, where- 
upon Baxter relieved the situa- 
tion by withdrawing. 

Armagh, Synod of. 

A Synod of the Irish Prelates, 
held in 11 70, at which, in view 
of the threatened English inva- 
sion, it was resolved to release 
all English captives held in 
slavery. 

Armagnac War. 

The war between Frederick 
III of Germany and the Swiss 
in 1444, so called because 
Frederick's forces were princi- 
pally composed of mercenaries 
who had been engaged in the 
French civil war on the 
Armagnac side. 

Armagnacs. 

The party of the Orleans Princes 
in the French civil war, which 
broke out in 1410, during the 
reign of the imbecile Charles VI. 
Their opponents, the Burgun- 
dians, succeeded in obtaining 
possession of Paris by treachery 
in 14 1 8, and the Armagnac 



leaders were captured and 
thrown into prison. The Paris 
mob, always hostile to this 
party, broke into the prisons 
and murdered all the prisoners. 
In this affair, which is known 
as the Massacre of the Armag- 
nacs, it is said that 3,500 
persons perished, including the 
Comte d' Armagnac, the Chan- 
cellor, and many nobles and 
members of the Parlement. 

Amiatoli. 

A body of Greek mercenaries 
in the service of the Sultans 
of Turkey from the fifteenth to 
the early nineteenth centuries. 

Armed Neutrality. 

A league of the northern 
nations of Europe, formed under 
the leadership of Prussia and 
Russia in 1870, to contest the 
right of search exercised by 
British ships of war over 
neutrals. The contentions of 
the league were that the flag 
covers the merchandise, except 
in the case of contraband of 
war, and that a blockade must 
be effective to be respected. 

Armenian Massacres. 

In 1895 aiid. 1896 terrible 
massacres of the Armenians 
took place in Anatolia, at the 
hands of the Kurds, who were 
probably aided, and certainly 
not hindered, by the regular 
Turkish garrison. In 1896, on 
the ground that a dangerous 
conspiracy was on foot, the 
authorities connived at a 
massacre of Armenians in Con- 
stantinople, in which over two 
thousand are believed to have 
perished. This produced a 
strong joint protest from the 
Powers, followed by the re- 
establishment of some sem- 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 15 



blance of order in the disturbed 
districts. 

Arminians. 

The followers of Arminius, a 
Leyden professor, in the early 
part of the seventeenth century, 
who dissented from the strict 
Calvinism of the Dutch Protest- 
ants, and endeavoured to intro- 
duce a milder system. By a 
decree of the Synod of Dort, in 
161 8, the Arminian preachers 
were banished, while the Great 
Pensioner, Barneveldt, the chief 
lay supporter of the sect, was 
executed. The English High 
Church party in the reign of 
Charles I were sometimes called 
Arminians. 

Army Plot. 

An abortive conspiracy in 
the army, in 1641, under Wil- 
mot, the Commissary- General, 
formed, with the connivance, of 
Charles I, to overawe the Parlia- 
ment. Goring, one of the ring- 
leaders, becoming dissatisfied, 
betrayed the plot to Pym, but 
by that time the conspirators 
had already decided against 
active measures. 

Army Purchase. 

The system of purchase of 
commissions in the army was 
abolished by an Act of Parlia- 
ment introduced by Mr. Card- 
well in I 87 I. 

Arrabiati. 

The party of the Medici, 
during the existence of the 
Florentine Republic, established 
in 1493. 

Arras, Congress of. 

The first instance of a con- 
gress of the European Powers, 
held at Arras in 1435. All the 
leading States were represented, 



and an attempt was made to 
settle the peace of Europe, but 
the rival claims of France and 
England, the two countries 
most immediately concerned, 
proved irreconcilable, and no 
solution was arrived at. 

Arras, Treaty of. 

During the Congress of Arras, 
in 143 s, France succeeded in 
detaching Burgundy from the 
English alliance, and a treaty 
was signed by which the Duke 
of Burgundy acknowledged the 
sovereignty of Charles VII, 
but stipulated that he himself 
should be freed from personal 
homage during his own and 
Charles' lifetime. In return 
his claim was admitted to the 
Boulonnais, and he received 
Macon, Arcis-sur-Aube and 
Auxerre. Burgundy renounced 
the English alliance, and France 
that of the Emperor. 

Arriere Fief. 

Land held by the vassal of 
a vassal is an arriere fief of the 
overlord. 

Artels. 

Associations of workmen in 
Russia, living and working 
together, and dividing the 
profits of each job. They are 
sometimes of a temporary nature 
and sometimes more nearly 
resembling a guild, as in the 
case of the bank porters, where 
the association is responsible 
to the employers for the acts 
of its members. 

Articles. 

See Eleven, Five, Forty-two, 
Henry, Lambeth, Louvain, Nine, 
Schmalkald, Six, Ten. Thirty- 
nine, Thirty-three. 



i6 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Articles, Lords of the. 

The Committee which prepared 
measures to be submitted to 
the Scottish Parliament was so 
called. 

Articles of Henry. 
See Pacta Conventa. 

Articles of Prague. 

The confession of faith of 
the Hussites, issued by John 
Zisca in 1420. 

Articuli super Cartas. 

Twenty clauses added to 
Magna Charta, when it was 
confirmed by Edward I during 
the Parliament of 1300. The 
most important are those deal- 
ing with purveyance, the juris- 
diction of the officers of the 
Crown, and the jury system. 

Arya Somaj. 

A Hindu sect founded by 
Dayanandu Sarasvati (died 
1882). While reforming many 
of the grosser superstitions of 
the Brahminical faith, its 
followers still hold by the 
doctrinal teachings of the Vedas. 

Aschaffenburg, Concordat of. 

An agreement between the 
Emperor Ferdinand III and 
Pope Nicholas V, in 1448, 
regulating the Papal rights in 
ecclesiastical matters in Ger- 
many. The Pope surrendered 
the right of appointing arbit- 
rarily to all benefices, but 
retained it for those falling in 
during each alternate six months. 
He retained the annates, and 
gave the chapters the right of 
electing to bishoprics, except 
in the case of translations, or 
of the appointment of some 
notoriously unfit person. 

Ashbourne's Act, Lord. 
See Irish Land Act, 1885. 



Ashburton Treaty. 

A treaty between England 
and the United States, signed 
in 1842, finally settling the 
boundary line between Canada 
and the States. This treaty is 
also known as the Treaty of 
Washington. 

Asiento. 

The right to trade in slaves 
with the American Colonies was 
claimed by Spain, and was at 
different periods granted by 
treaty to France or to England. 
The permission thus granted 
was known as the Asiento. 

Assassination Plot. 

A Jacobite plot in 1696, to 
assassinate William III. He 
was to be shot while returning 
from hunting in Richmond 
Forest. It is probable that 
James was privy to it, but the 
actual ringleader was Sir George 
Barclay. The plot was dis- 
covered, and several of the 
leaders convicted and executed. 

Assassins. 

The followers of the Old Man 
of the Mountain, Hassan ben 
Sabah, who founded the sect 
on the borders of the Caspian 
Sea about 1090. The motto of 
the Society was " To the faithful 
nothing is forbidden," and its 
adherents were guilty of the 
foulest murders. Among its 
other well-known victims, was 
Conrad of Montferrat, in 1192. 

Asssertion of the Seven Sacra- 
ments. 
The book written by Henry 
VIII against Luther, which 
procured for him from Leo X 
the title of Defender of the 
Faith. 

Assignats. 

An issue of paper money 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS ij 



authorized by the French Na- 
tional Assembly in December, 
1789, secured on the lands and 
buildings of the church, which 
were to be confiscated and sold. 
They were largely forged by 
Royalists and others, and went 
to an extraordinary discount; 
thus in February, 1796, a gold 
louis of 20 francs was worth 
on the Paris Bourse 5,300 
francs in assignats. 

Assize of Arms. 

A reorganization of the old 
Militia of England, carried out 
by Henry II in 1181. 

Assize of Bread. 

An ordinance of Henry III of 
England in 1266, regulating 
the prices to be charged by 
bakers, in accordance with the 
fluctuations in the value of 



Assize of Clarendon. 

An ordinance issued by Henry 
II in 1 166, to provide for the 
trial of criminal cases in the 
Shire Courts. It was ordained 
that twelve men should be 
selected from each hundred, 
and four from each township, 
to determine whether there 
were any criminals in their 
district, and if so to present 
them for trial. This is the 
origin of the Grand Jury system. 
This Assize also abolished trial 
by compurgation. 

Assize of Northampton. 

An ordinance issued by 
Henry II in 1176, confirming 
and strengthening the Assize 
of Clarendon. 

Assize of Woodstock. 

An ordinance issued by 
Henry II in 11 84, containing 
regulations for the government 



of the royal forests. Many of 
the rules were very oppressive, 
and were considerably modified 
by the Charter of Forests, in 
1217. 

Association, The. 

A bond drawn up by the 
Council and nobles of England 
in 1 5 84, whereby the signatories 
bound themselves to take arms 
against all who should attempt 
to harm the person of Queen 
Elizabeth. It was signed by 
Catholics and Protestants aUke, 
and Parliament was speedily 
summoned to endorse it. 

Association, The. 

A union of the Eastern 
counties, formed in 1643, with 
the object of keeping the civil 
war beyond its borders. 

Association Treaty. 

A treaty, signed in 1682, be- 
tween Holland, Sweden, the 
Emperor and certain German 
Princes, pledging the signatories 
to defend the treaties of Utrecht 
and Nimeguen. It provided that 
any of the contracting parties 
accused of violating the pro- 
visions of these treaties should 
submit the matter to the arbi- 
tration of the other signatories, 
who, in the event of his refusal, 
agreed to unite against him in 
arms. Similar provisions were 
agreed to to meet the case of a 
non-signatory power violating 
the peace of Europe and re- 
fusing to submit to arbitration. 

Associations Act, Ireland. 

An Act passed in 1826, di- 
rected mainly against the Catho- 
lic Association. It restricted 
the right of meeting of political 
associations, and forbade the 
levying of subscriptions or the 
administration of oaths. 
c 



i8 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Associations Law, 1833. 

A law passed by the French. 
Government in 1833, forbidding 
any association, even literary 
or religious, to exist without 
Government authorization. 

Associations Law, 1901. 

A law passed by the French 
Assembly in 1901, requiring all 
religious associations engaged 
in teaching or charitable work 
to apply to the Government for 
authorization. It was specially 
aimed at associations like the 
Assumptionist Fathers, who had 
taken an active part in politics 
in opposition to the Govern- 
ment. In 1902 the law was 
strenuously enforced by M. 
Combes, the French Premier, 
against many harmless com- 
munities of nuns and others 
engaged in teaching, causing 
serious disturbances in Brittany 
and other Catholic centres. 

Assurance, The. 

A form of oath exacted in 
Scotland after the accession of 
William III from all persons 
holding positions of trust. It 
set forth that William was King 
not only de facto but de jure 
and by just title, and was in- 
tended' to discriminate, in the 
Church, between those Episco- 
palians who were at heart 
Jacobites, and those who were 
honestly ready to accept the 
new regime. About a hundred 
Episcopalian divines took the 
oath, and were permitted to 
retain their benefices. 

Assured Lords. 

The Scottish lords captured 
at Sol way Moss, and allowed to 
return to Scotland under the ob- 
ligation to further the interests 
of Henry VIII, in 1542. Among 



them were the Earl of Angus, 
Lords Cassilis, Glencairn, and 
Maxwell. 

Assysthement. 

The ancient Scottish law of 
the assessment of the 'value of 
a life, to be paid by the mur- 
derer. 

Astor Place Riot. 

A serious riot in New York 
in 1849, arising out of a dispute 
between Macready, the English 
actor, and Edwin Forest, the 
American actor. A mob of 
20,000 men attacked the Astor 
Place Opera House, where 
Macready was playing in " Mac- 
beth," and it was found necessary 
to call out the troops in order 
to quell the disturbance. 

Ataman. 

The chief of a community of 
Cossacks. The office was 
elective. 

Ateliers Nationaux. 

Government workshops estab- 
lished in Paris in 1 848 to provide 
work for the unemployed. 
Within the year the workers 
rose against the Government, 
and erected barricades in the 
streets of Paris. They were, 
however, promptly suppressed 
by General Cavaignac, and their 
leaders arrested and condemned 
to transportation. * 

Attainder, Act of. 

An Act passed by the Irish 
Parliament, summoned by 
James after the landing of 
William III in England in 1689. 
The Act contained a list of 
between two and three thousand 
names, and was made the ve- 
hicle of many private ven- 
geances. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 19 



Attalik Ghazi. 

The title bestowed on Yakoub 
Beg, the leader of the revolt 
against China in Kashgar in 
1870. The revolt was sup- 
pressed in 1877, after the death 
of Yakoub Beg. 

Atterbury's Plot. 

A Jacobite plot to depose 
George I in 1722, and to place 
the old Pretender, James Ed- 
ward, on the throne. The ring- 
leaders were Lord Orrery, Lord 
North, Lord Gower, and Atter- 
bury, Bishop of Rochester. The 
plot included a plan for an 
expedition under James and 
Lord Ormonde, to sail from 
Spain. The scheme, however, 
was disclosed to the British 
Minister in Paris, and the 
leaders, including Atterbury, 
were arrested. 

Audiencias. 

The final courts of appeal in 
South America, under Spanish 
rule. They were eleven in 
number, and in addition to 
their judicial functions, acted 
as advisory boards to the 
Viceroys and Captains-General. 

Augmentations, Court of. 

A Court appointed by Henry 
VIII, after the dissolution of 
the monasteries, to deal with 
all questions arising out of 
the confiscation of the Church 
Lands. 

Augsburg, Confession of. 

A statement of the Protestant 
doctrine drawn up by Melanc- 
thon at the Diet of Augsburg, 
in 1529. 

Augsburg, League of. 

A league between the 
Emperor, Spain, the Nether- 
lands, Sweden, Bavaria, and 



the circles of Suabia and Fran- 
conia, formed in 1682, to pre- 
serve the peace of Europe 
against the encroachments of 
Louis XIV. The war, which 
began in 1688 and was ended 
by the Peace of Ryswick in 
1697, is known as the War of 
the League of Augsburg. 

Augsburg, Peace of. 
See Religious Peace. 

Aulic Council. 

A tribunal established by 
the Emperor Maximilian I in 
1 501. It was reorganized by 
Rudolf II, to deal with questions 
arising out of the interpretation 
of the Peace of Augsburg, dur- 
ing the counter-reformation in 
Germany. The Council accom- 
panied the Emperor, having 
no fixed place of meeting, and 
was almost entirely under the 
domination of the Court, and 
thoroughly Catholic in its tend- 
encies. 

Aurum Reginae. 

See Queen's Gold. 

Ausculta Fill, Bull. 

A bull, also known as the 
Greater Bull, issued by Pope 
Boniface VIII against Philip IV 
of France in 1302. It calls on 
Philip to cease his opposition 
to the claims of the Church, 
and reminds him that he holds 
his throne only by the goodwill 
of the Pope. The bull was 
publicly burnt in Philip's pres- 
ence. 

Ausgleich. 

The agreement settling the 
economic relations between 
Austria and Hungary. The 
first Ausgleich was signed in 
1867, for a period of ten years, 
and was renewed with slight 



20 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



variations in 1877 and 1887. 
The Austrian Reichsrath refused 
to sanction the Ausgleich of 
1897, and it was promulgated 
by what is known as the Dic- 
tatorship paragraph of the 
Austrian Constitution, in other 
words by Imperial decree. In 
1899 it was amended by the 
Szell formula, by which M. 
Szell, the Hungarian premier, 
stipulated that if the Aus- 
gleich were not formally re- 
newed before the end of 1902, 
the economic union between the 
two countries should come 
to an end in 1907. On New 
Year's Eve, 1902, a new Aus- 
gleich, to run for ten years, was 
agreed to by the Austrian 
and Hungarian Premiers. 

Austin Riots. 

An outbreak of the Coloured 
League against the White 
League, at Austin, Mississippi, 
in 1874. Several sanguinary 
engagements took place, in 
which the blacks were worsted, 
and many killed. 

Austragal Court. 

A court consisting of several 
members of the Germanic 
Confederation, convened to de- 
cide whether questions pending 
between one of the Confederated 
States and a foreign power 
could be taken up by the Con- 
federation as a whole. 

Australasian League. 

A society established in Mel- 
bourne in 185 1, under the 
auspices of the Rev. John West, 
to secure " by moral means 
only " the abolition of the 
transportation of convicts to 
any part of the Australasian 
continent. 



Australian Colonies Act. 

An Act passed in 1849, 
separating Victoria from New 
South Wales, and providing 
a constitution for the new 
colony, as well as for Tasmania, 
South Australia, and (subject 
to the fulfilment of certain 
conditions ) Western Australia. 

Australian Commonwealth Act. 
An Act to give force to the 
Constitution drafted by Aus- 
tralian statesmen for the union 
into a Commonwealth of the 
Colonies of New South Wales, 
Victoria, South Australia, 
Queensland, Western Aus- 
tralia, and Tasmania, power 
being reserved to New Zealand 
to enter the union if she so 
desire. The Act provides for 
the establishment of a central 
Government, with the control 
of the customs, postage, and 
certain other matters, each 
colony retaining its own Parlia- 
ment, with power to manage 
its internal affairs as before. 
Considerable difference of opin- 
ion arose as to the right of 
appeal from the Supreme Court 
of the Commonwealth to the 
Privy Council, and it was 
finally enacted that in the case 
of constitutional questions 
affecting the rights of the 
Commonwealth or individual 
States no appeal should lie, 
unless the Supreme Court certi- 
fied that the matter was one 
which should be determined by 
the Privy Council. 

Austrian Succession, War of the. 
The war which broke out in 
1 74 1, in connexion with the 
Pragmatic Sanction of Charles 
VI. It was ended by the Peace 
of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 21 



Auto de fe. 

The Act of Faith, the name 
given to the ceremony which 
accompanied the execution of 
persons condemned for heresy 
by the Inquisition in Spain and 
Portugal. The last Auto de Fe 
took place at Valencia, in 1826. 

Avignon Captivity. 

The period of seventy years 
during which the Popes resided 
at Avignon, practically in a 
condition of vassalage to the 
French Crown. It lasted from 
1305 to 1377, or from the Papacy 
of Clement V to that of Gregory 
XI. It is also known as the 
Babylonish Captivity. 

Avignon, Reunion of. 

From the time of the return 
of the Popes to Rome in 1377, 
until 1 79 1, Avignon was, with 
certain short intervals, governed 
by Papal Legates. In the latter 
year, by a decree of the National 
Assembly, it was reunited to 
France, and this reunion was 
acknowledged by the Pope, by 
the Treaty of Tolentino in 
1797. 

Ayankeeados. 

The name given by the Mexi- 
cans to the sympathizers with 
America during the Mexican 
War of 1846. 



B 



Babington Plot. 

A plot set on foot by Babing- 
ton and a Jesuit, named Ballard, 
in 1585, to assassinate Queen 
Elizabeth. Letters secured by 
Walsingham were said to have 
proved the complicity of Mary 
Queen of Scots, and led to her 
imprisonment at Fotheringay, 



and subsequent trial and exe- 
cution. 

Babylonish Captivity. 

See Avignon. 

Back Lane Parliament. 

An assembly of Delegates 
from the whole of Ireland, 
which met in Dublin in 1792. 
They prepared an address ex- 
pressing their loyalty to the 
throne, and asking for the 
franchise. 

Baconists. 

The Liberal Party in Virginia 
in 1676, who rose in rebellion 
under Nathaniel Bacon. The 
name was afterwards adopted 
by the Maryland Liberals in 
1678. 

Badger State. 

The popular name of the 
State of Wisconsin, U.S.A., 
from the badger in its coat of 
arms. 

Badinguet. 

A nickname of Napoleon III. 
It was the name of the workman 
in whose clothes he escaped 
from the Chateau of Ham, in 
1846. 

Bag and Baggage Policy. 

The policy advocated in 
speech and pamphlet by Mr. 
Gladstone in 1876 (while in 
opposition), at the time of the 
Bulgarian Atrocities. It was to 
the effect that if Turkey would 
not reform the administration 
of her Christian provinces, she 
must be turned out of Europe 
" bag and baggage." 

Bagimont's Roll. 

A valuation of the ecclesi- 
astical benefices of Scotland, 
compiled by Bagimont of Vicci in 
1274. On this .valuation the 



22 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



tithes payable to the Roman 
See were computed, up to the 
time of the Reformation. 

Bailli. 

In French feudal times the 
bailli was the representative of 
the king in the territories of 
the great feudal lords. He 
held a court which took cogni- 
zance of matters concerning 
the rights of the Crown, and 
outside the jurisdiction of the 
feudal courts. 

Baiser de Lamourette. 

A reconciliation between the 
extreme parties in the French 
Legislative Assembly in 1792, 
effected by the persuasive elo- 
quence of Lamourette, Bishop 
of Lyons. It was purely emo- 
tional and irrational, and only 
lasted a few days. It is also 
called the Norman Reconcilia- 
tion. 

Balafre, Le. 

The sobriquet of Henry de 
Guise (1550-1589). 

Balkan Agreement. 

An agreement between Aus- 
tria and Russia, officially com- 
municated to the Balkan States 
in 1897, by which the parties 
announced their intention of 
maintaining the status quo in 
the Balkan Peninsula. 

Ballarat Reform League. 

An association of miners, 
formed at Ballarat (Victoria) in 
1854, to agitate for reforms in 
the administration of the gold- 
fields, as well as for certain 
political reforms, including man- 
hood suffrage, payment of mem- 
bers, and short Parliaments. 
The more militant members 
eventually took up arms against 
the Government. 



Ballot Act. 

The Act to substitute secret 
for open voting at Parlia- 
mentary elections was passed 
in 1 87 1. 

Banbury Man. 

A term applied to the Puritans 
during the sixteenth and seven- 
teenth centuries. 

Banda Oriental. 

The old name of the Republic 
of Uruguay. 

Bandes d'Ordonnance. 

A body of 3,000 cavalry 
which formed the only standing 
army of the Netherlands, circ. 
1550. 

Bank Charter Act, 1833. 

An Act renewing the charter 
of the Bank of England, origin- 
ally granted in 1694. It made 
the notes of the bank legal 
tender, and provided that the 
notes issued should bear to the 
specie in hand a ratio not 
exceeding three to one. 

Bank Charter Act, 1844. 

By this Act it was provided 
that the Bank of England should 
not issue notes in excess of 
;^ 1 4,000,000, unless a corre- 
sponding reserve of specie were 
held. It also restricted the note 
issue of other banks, and pro- 
vided that no banks established 
after the passing of the Act 
should have the right to issue 
notes. 

Bar, Confederation of. 

A league of Polish nobles, 
formed in 1876, with the object 
of dethroning Stanislas Augustus 
(Poniatowski), and freeing the 
country from foreign influence. 

Barbarossa. 

Frederick II, Emperor of 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 23 



Germany (11 52-1 190), so called was also known as the Little 
from his red beard. Parliament. 



Barbons. 

The name given to Sillery, 
Jeannin, and Villeroy, the 
veteran councillors of Louis 
XIII, circ. 161 2. 

Barcelona, Treaty of, 1493. 

A treaty between Charles 
VIII of France and Ferdinand 
and Isabella of Spain, by which 
Roussillon and Cerdagne were 
restored to the Crown of Arragon. 

Barcelona, Treaty of, 1529. 

A treaty between Charles V 
and Pope Clement VII, by 
which the Emperor undertook 
to proceed to Rome to receive 
the crown at the Pope's hands, 
and to take all the steps in his 
power to check the spread of 
the reformed religion. 

Bardo, Treaty of. 

A treaty between France and 
Tunis, signed in 1861. The Bey 
recognized the French right 
to occupy military positions 
securing the frontier and the 
sea coast, France in return 
guaranteed to the Bey his 
personal security, and that of 
his dynasty and dominions. 
She also undertook the due 
execution of all treaty obliga- 
tions to foreign powers, but 
for the future reserved the right 
to control all the international 
relations of the Bey. 

Barebone's Parliament. 

A Parliament summoned by 
Cromwell on July 4, 1653, 
which lasted only till December 
12 of the same year. It took 
its name from one of its mem- 
bers, a leather merchant named 
Praise-God Barebone, and it 



Bari, Council of. 

At this council, summoned 
by Pope Urban II in 1098, the 
orthodox doctrine of the Holy 
Ghost was established. 

Barmecides. 

A celebrated Persian family, 
who rose to the highest offices 
of state under the Abbaside 
Khalifs. One of their number, 
Jaafar, was the favourite Vizier 
of Haroun-al-Raschid. For 
some reason not sufficiently ex- 
plained by the Arab historians, 
Haroun, without warning, caused 
the whole family, numbering 
over a thousand, to be massacred 
in 802. 

Barnburners. 

Bands of agricultural labour- 
ers who, from 1830 to 1833, ^^• 
deavoured, by burning ricks 
and farm buildings, to terrorize 
the landlords into the concession 
of improved conditions. The 
threatening letters written to 
their employers were generally 
signed "Captain Swing." 

Barnburners. 

A name given to the Radical 
wing of the Democratic party in 
New York in 1844. The Barn- 
burners joined the Freesoilers 



Baroda Commission. 

A commission appointed in 
1875, composed of three Euro- 
peans and three natives, to in- 
vestigate the charge against the 
Gaekwar of Baroda of attempt- 
ing to poison Colonel Phayre, 
the English Resident. The com- 
mission disagreed, the English- 
men considering the charge 
proved, while the natives were 



24 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



of the contrary opinion. Lord 
Northbrook, however, decided 
on deposing him. 

Barons, League of the. 

A league of the Barons of 
Northern France, under Peter, 
Count of Brittany, during the 
regency of Blanche of Castile, 
in support of the rights of their 
order against the usurpations 
of the Crown. 

Barons' War. 

The war which broke out 
under Simon de Montfort in 
1263, in consequence of the 
failure of Henry III to fulfil his 
various engagements to his 
Barons. The war lasted till 
1267, though only desultory 
fighting took place after the 
death of de Montfort at the 
battle of Evesham in 1265. 

Barrackpur Mutiny, 

A mutiny of the 42nd Native 
Infantry Regiment in 1826, the 
reason assigned being the harsh 
treatment to which they were 
subjected by their officers. The 
mutiny was promptly sup- 
pressed. 

Barricades, Journee des. 

May 12, 1588, on which date 
Henri III sent his Swiss Guards 
to oppose the return to Paris 
of Henri de Guise. The Parisian 
mob formed barricades of paving 
stones, from behind which they 
shot down the Swiss. The same 
name has been given to other 
days on which the Parisians 
have erected barricades against 
the constituted authorities. 

Barrier Treaty, First. 

A treaty between England 
and Holland, signed in 1709, 
by which Holland agreed to 
recognize the Protestant suc- 
cession in England, and to make 



the expulsion of the Pretender 
a sine qua non of peace with 
France. In return England 
guaranteed to Holland a barrier 
line of strong places, including 
Nieuport, Lille, Ryssel, Tournay, 
Maubeuge, Charleroi and Namur. 

Barrier Treaty, Second. , 

A treaty between England and 
the Netherlands signed in 17 13, 
by which the line of fortresses, 
as set out in the Barrier Treaty 
of 1709, was altered, somewhat 
to the disadvantage of the 
Dutch. The Treaty of Utrecht 
in the same year confirmed the 
principle of the Barrier. 

Barwalde, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1631 be- 
tween Louis XIII. and Gustavus 
Adolphus, providing for the 
security of the Ocean and the 
Baltic, with liberty of com- 
merce to the ships of both 
nations. It was also provided 
that the forts on both seas and 
in the Canton of the Grisons 
should be demolished. 

Bashi-Bazouks. 

Turkish irregular troops, 
generally recruited amongst the 
Kurds and other Asiatic tribes 
in the Ottoman Empire. They 
became notorious during the 
Bulgarian atrocities of 1875. 

Basilikon Doron. 

A book written in iS99Tby 
James VI of Scotland (after- 
wards James I of England) , con- 
taining advice on the art of 
government, and intended for 
the instruction of his eldest son, 
Henry. 

Basle, Council of. 

A council summoned by Mar- 
tin V, but held under Eugenius 
IV, in 1433. The council 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 25 



abolished many of the privileges 
claimed by the Popes, including 
annates and the reservation of 
benefices. Finding the Pope 
obdurate in his refusal to accept 
their decrees, they suspended 
and finally deposed him. 

Basle Treaties. 

Two treaties made by Na- 
poleon with Prussia and Spain 
respectively in 1795, by which 
he detached these two powers 
from the European coalition. 
His bribe to Prussia was the 
withdrawal of the French troops 
from the right bank of the 
Rhine, while the inducement 
offered to Spain was the return 
to her of the Spanish half of the 
island of San Domingo. 

Basle, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Austria 
and the Swiss Cantons in 1499, 
whereby the virtual indepen- 
dence of the thirteen cantons 
was recognized. 

Bassein, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the British 
and Baji Rao II, Peshwa of 
Poonah, signed in 1802. The 
Peshwa agreed to receive a 
subsidiary force, and to pay for 
its maintenance ; to admit into 
the Mahratta States no European 
hostile to England; to surrender 
all claims to Surat, and to re- 
main the faithful ally of the 
English. This treaty practi- 
cally put an end to the Mahratta 
independence. 

Bastard of Orleans. 

Jean Dunois (natural son of 
Louis of Orleans), the famous 
French general ( 1402- 146 8), was 
so called. 

Bastille. 

The famous state prison of 



Paris, built in 1370 by Charles 
V, and destroyed by the mob 
in 1789, at the beginning of the 
French Revolution. 

Bates' Case. 

A case decided in 1606, in the 
reign of James I, in which the 
judges held that it was lawful 
for the King to raise the customs 
duties without the consent of 
Parliament, 

Bath, Order of the. 

An order of knighthood, 
founded by Henry IV in 1399- 
From the time of Charles I it 
lapsed, until revived by George 
I in 1725 as a military order, 
which it remained until 1845, 
when it was established on its 
present basis with a military and 
a civil division. 
Bats, Parliament of. 

See Club Parliament. 

Battles. 

See Brothers, Chapter of Mit- 
ton, Clan Chattan, Clouds, Death 
Ride, Dingaan, Dysiefald, 
Eperons, Field of Mourning, 
Giants, Glorious, Herrings, Last, 
Loose Coat, Nations, Seven 
Days, Soldiers, Spurs, Standard, 
Thirty, Three Emperors. 

Bavarian Succession, War of the. 
A war between Austria and 
Prussia, arising out of the failure 
of the male line of the Bavarian 
princely house. No fighting took 
place, and the pending questions 
were settled by the Peace of 
Teschen in 1779. 

Bay State. 

A name given to the State of 
Massachusetts, U.S.A., from the 
old name of the Colony, namely 
" Massachusetts Bay." 
Bayonne Decree. 

A decree issued by Napoleon 



26 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



in 1808, ordering that all foreign 
vessels then in French ports 
should be seized. 

Bayou State. 

The State of Mississippi, U.S.A., 
is so called from the number of 
creeks or bayous along its 
shores. 

Bear State. 

Arkansas, U.S.A., is so called 
from the bears that in former 
days infested its forests. 

Bearnais, Le. 

Henri IV of France was so 
called from Beam, his native 
province. 

Beau Sabreur, Le. 

The sobriquet of Joachim 
Murat, Napoleon's best cavalry 
leader, created by him King of 
Naples. 

Beauclerc. 

The sobriquet of Henry I of 
England, in allusion to his 
scholarship, which was superior 
to that of most mediaeval 
monarchs. 

Bee, Compromise of. 

An arrangement between 
Henry I and Anselm, Archbishop 
of Canterbury, in 1 106, by which 
the long standing dispute as to 
the King's right of investiture 
was settled. By this arrange- 
ment the King retained the right 
of exacting from the Bishops 
the oath of fealty and homage, 
surrendering the purely formal 
right of bestowing the ring and 
crozier. 

Bedchamber Question. 

The dif&culty that arose be- 
tween Queen Victoria and Sir 
Robert Peel, on the resignation 
of the Melbourne Ministry in 
1839. Through some misunder- 



standing the Queen thought that 
Peel wished her to change all 
the ladies holding Court ap- 
pointments, a step she refused 
to take. It ended in Peel re- 
fusing to take office, and Lord 
Melbourne coming back. 

Bedford Protest. 

A protest signed by a hastily 
summoned meeting of the min- 
ority of the House of Lords in 
March, 1766, on the night that 
the repeal of the Stamp Act, 
imposing stamp duties on the 
American Colonies, passed that 
House. The signatories to the 
protest were headed by the Duke 
of Bedford. 

Beggars, The. 
See Gueux. 

Beggars of the Sea. 

A company of Dutch priva- 
teersmen, commissioned by the 
Prince of Orange, circ. 1570, to 
prey upon Spanish commerce. 
Their chief was William de la 
Marck. 

Beggars, The Wild. 

A brotherhood of freebooters, 
who, under the guise of a 
revolutionary faction, infested 
the Netherlands about 1568. 

Behring Sea Fisheries. 

The question as to the right 
of Canadian sealers to capture 
seals in Behring Sea (known as 
Pelagic Sealing), after being 
long in dispute, was submitted 
to arbitration in 1892. The 
United States claimed to have 
acquired from Russia, by the 
purchase of Alaska, the ex- 
clusive right to the seal fisheries 
of the Behring Sea, alleging 
that this right had always been 
claimed by Russia, without pro- 
test from Great Britain, and that 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 27 



their interest in the seal herd 
justified them in putting a stop 
to pelagic sealing. In 1893 the 
arbitrators decided that the 
United States had not acquired 
any such exclusive right. Fur- 
ther, as authorized by the terms 
of the reference, they made the 
following regulations : all seal- 
ing within sixty maritime miles 
of the ProbylofE Islands to be 
forbidden; a close time for seals 
to be established, and all sealing 
vessels to be licensed. 

Bekcagsog, Convention of. 

A treaty between Great Brit- 
ain and Sweden, by v/hich Great 
Britain undertook to pay 12,000 
men to be employed in Pom- 
erania in aid of the coalition 
against Napoleon in 1805, 

Bel Anglais, Le. 

A name given by the French 
to John Churchill, the great 
Duke of Marlborough. 

Belgian Neutrality Treaty. 

The neutrality of Belgium 
being threatened by the Franco- 
German War in 1870, treaties 
were signed by Great Britain 
with France and Germany re- 
spectively, by which the bel- 
ligerents agreed to respect the 
neutrality of Belgium during 
the war and for one year after its 
close, from which date the Treaty 
of London of 1839 was again to 
become operative. 

Belgrade, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Austria and 
Russia on the one hand, and 
Turkey on the other, by which 
Austria surrendered Wallachia 
and Servia, while Russia with- 
drew from her conquests in 
Moldavia and Bessarabia, and 
renounced her rights of navi- 
gation in the Black Sea. This 



treaty was signed in 1739, after 
the capture of Belgrade by the 
Turks. 

Bell the Cat. 

The sobriquet of Archibald 
Douglas, the " great " Earl of 
Angus, which he earned by 
undertaking to take the lead 
in removing James III of Scot- 
land from the pernicious in- 
fluence of Cochrane, Earl of 
Mar, in 1481. 

Belski. 

One of the two factions of 
nobles who between them ruled 
Russia during the minority of 
Ivan IV (The Terrible), circ. 
1533, The other faction was 
that of the Chouiski. 

Belted Will. 

Lord WilUam Howard (1563- 
1640), Warden of the Marches, 
was so called, 

Benares, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1773 be- 
tween Warren Hastings and the 
Vizier of Oude, by which it was 
stipulated that an English force 
should be lent to Oude for ser- 
vice against the Rohillas, the 
Vizier paying forty lacs down 
and two lacs per month for their 
services. Further, Hastings 
agreed to cede Oorah and Alla- 
habad to Oude, in return for an 
annual tribute of fifty lacs of 
rupees. 

Benedictines. 

The first regular monastic 
order, founded by St. Benedict 
in 527. 

Benefit of Clergy. 

The right claimed by the 
Church to withdraw its members 
from the jurisdiction of the 
secular courts, to be dealt with by 
the ecclesiastical coiirts. In the 



28 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



dark ages " clerk " was held to 
cover all who could read, but 
with the spread of education 
after the Renaissance, the abuse 
of this definition became in- 
tolerable, and in 1532, an act 
was passed limiting the right 
of pleading benefit of clergy, 
in cases of felony, to those of the 
rank of sub-deacon and above. 

Benevolences. 

An arbitrary method of tax- 
ation without the consent of 
Parliament, introduced by Ed- 
ward IV of England. Benevo- 
lences were declared illegal by 
the Parliament of Richard III. 

Bengal Land Law. 

An Indian Act passed in 1859, 
by which the proprietary rights 
of the cultivators under the 
Zemindari system in Bengal 
were recognized with certain 
restrictions. 

Bengal Mutiny. 

An agitation in the East India 
Company's regiments in 1795-6 
for the assimilation of the con- 
ditions of pay and pensions to 
those established by Lord Corn- 
wallis in the Civil Service. The 
Company handled the matter 
with very little discretion, pro- 
moting one of the leading mal- 
contents to an important post, 
but Lord Wellesley on his 
arrival took stern measures, and 
the embryo mutiny quickly 
subsided. 

Bergara, Convention of. 

The surrender of the Carlists 
under General Maroto in 1839, 
which ended the great Carlist 
war. 

Berlin Congress. 

A congress held at Berlin in 
1878, after the conclusion of the 



Russo-Turkish war. The out- 
come of the Congress was a 
Treaty, which modified the 
terms of the Treaty of San 
Stefano. By its provisions 
Roumania, Servia and Monte- 
negro were made independent 
States, the latter also obtaining 
a port on the Adriatic. The 
northern portion of Bulgaria 
was made a self-governing State, 
under the suzerainty of the 
Porte, and the southern portion, 
known as Eastern Roumelia, 
remained Turkish territory, but 
under a Christian governor. 
Austria was to administer Bos- 
nia and Herzegovina, Roumania 
returned a portion of Bessarabia 
to Russia, while in Asia Turkey 
ceded Ardalian, Kars, and 
Batoum to Russia. It is of this 
treaty that Lord Beaconsfield 
used the famous phrase " We 
have brought back Peace with 
Honour." 

Berlin Decree. 

A decree issued by Napoleon 
in 1806, proclaiming the Con- 
tinental Blockade. 

Berserker. 

The bravest champions of the 
Vikings were so called, perhaps 
because they fought in their 
shirts, without coats of mail. 
They seem in battle to have 
worked themselves into a kind 
of frenzy, known as the Berserk 
rage, somewhat resembling that 
of the Mohammedan " Ghazi." 

Berwick, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Charles'|i 
and the Scotch in 1639, following 
Charles' abortive attempt to 
invade Scotland, by which it 
was agreed that a free Scottish 
Parliament should be held, in 
return for which concession 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 29 



the royal castles were to be re- 
turned, and the army of the 
Covenanters disbanded. 

Bessborough Commission. 

A commission, under the 
chairmanship of the Earl of 
Bessborough, appointed to re- 
port on the Irish Land Laws. 
Following on its report, Mr. 
Gladstone introduced the Irish 
Land Bill of 189 1. 

Betterment. 

The increase in the value of 
property in a certain limited 
area, owing to municipal im- 
provements, such as roads and 
bridges. Certain municipal re- 
formers advocate the levying 
of a special rate from persons 
thus benefiting, instead of 
throwing the whole cost of the 
improvements upon the rate- 
payers as a body. 

Betting Act. 
See Cockburn's Act. 

Bezaaygeld. 

A tax levied in Holland about 
the middle of the eighteenth 
century on seed put into the 
ground. 

Bianchi. 

A sect of fanatics who appeared 
in Italy in 1399. They dressed 
always in long white garments, 
and lived entirely on bread and 
water. They are said to have 
brought about a remarkable im- 
provement in the morals of the 
time, but they were neverthe- 
less opposed by the Pope. 

Bianchi and Neri. 

The two factions of the Guelf 
party in Florence, circ. 1300. 
Modern Italian society is di- 
vided into sections, also bearing 
these two names, of which the 
former are supporters of the 



House of Savoy, while the latter 
uphold the temporal claims of 
the Vatican. 

Biatagh. 

A tenant in Ireland, in the 
Celtic times, who held his land 
on the tenure of providing hos- 
pitality for travellers. 

Bien Aime, Le. 

The sobriquet of Louis XV of 
France (17 15-1774). 

Bien Public, Guerre du. 

An insurrection against Louis 
XI of certain malcontent nobles, 
aided by the Dukes of Bur- 
gundy, Brittany, and Bourbon. 
It was ended by the Treaty of 
Conflans, in 1465. 

Big Beggarman. 

Daniel O'ConneU was so called 
by the Irish landlords. 

Bill of Right. 

The Act passed by the Con- 
vention Parliament in 1689, 
embodying as a statute the 
Declaration of Rights accepted 
by William III. 

Bills of Exchange Act. 

An Act passed in 1882, codi- 
fying the various acts and de- 
cisions relating to Bills of Ex- 
change. It is practically the 
only codification in the law of 
Great Britain. 

Bimetallists. 

The advocates of a monetary 
system which would place gold 
and silver on the same basis 
for coinage purposes, by making 
silver legal tender to any amount, 
and establishing a fixed ratio of 
value between the two metals. 

Birkenhead, Wreck of the. 

The Birkenhead, a troopshipi 
was wrecked near the Cape of 



30 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Good Hope in 1852. There 
were not sufficient boats to save 
all on board, and while the 
women and children were all 
saved, the troops stood to at- 
tention on the main deck, and 
went down with the ship. 

Birmingham Riots. 

An outbreak in Birmingham 
in 1 79 1, directed against Dr. 
Priestley, who had organized a 
dinner of sympathizers with the 
French Revolution, to celebrate 
the anniversary of the fall of 
the Bastille. Dr. Priestley's 
house and library were wrecked. 

Biron's Plot. 

An attempt by the Baron de 
Biron, one of the King's most 
trusted generals, to unite the 
Catholic and Huguenot mal- 
contents against Henri IV, in 
conjunction with a league of 
Spain and Savoy against the 
French king. The plot was be- 
trayed by a subordinate, named 
La Fin, and Biron was con- 
demned and executed in 1602. 

Bishop Usher's Model. 

A compromise between the 
Episcopalians and Presby- 
terians, proposed by Bishop 
Usher after the Restoration. 
He suggested that while the 
bishops were restored, a number 
of suffragan bishops should be 
appointed, each of whom was 
to be president of a council of 
Presbyters. Charles II de- 
clared himself in favour of this 
form of union, but when a bill 
was prepared to carry it into 
effect, the whole power of the 
Court was utilized to secure its 
rejection. 

Bishops in Partibus Infidelium. 
In theRoman Catholic Church, 



Bishops holding imaginary sees, 
in countries where there is no 
Catholic community, were for- 
merly so called. Since 1882 
they have been styled Titular 
Bishops. 

Bismarck of Asia. 

Li Hung Chang, the Chinese 
statesman, was so called. 

Black Act. 

An Act passed in 1722 to put 
a stop to the depredations of 
certain persons who frequented 
Epping Forest in disguise and 
killed the deer. The Act was 
repealed in 1827. 

Black Agnes. 

Agnes, wife of the Earl of 
March, who was distinguished for 
her gallant defence of Dunbar 
against the English in 1339. 

Black Assize. 

The assize held at Oxford 
in July, 1577, when an' outbreak 
of typhus fever carried off three 
hundred persons, including many 
of the officials and jurors at- 
tending the court. 

Black Bands. 

A body of German soldiers 
enlisted by Louis XII of France, 
and employed in the Italian wars 
of the sixteenth century. 

Black Bartholomew. 

St. Bartholomew's Day, 1662, 
is so called. On this day all 
beneficed clergy had to declare 
their assent to the Book of 
Common Prayer, in accordance 
with the provisions of the Act of 
Uniformity, and those who re- 
fused were deprived of their 
livings. Over two thousand 
Presbyterians were ejected from 
their parishes on this day. 
Black Book. 

The name given to the report 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 31 



of the committee appointed by- 
Henry VIII in 1535 to investi- 
gate the condition of the monas- 
teries. 
Black Box. 

A box said to have contained 
the marriage certificate of Charles 
II and Lucy Waters, the mother 
of the Duke of Monmouth, and 
to have been stolen from her. 
Had the documents it purported 
to contain been forthcoming, 
they would, of course, have es- 
tablished the Duke's right to 
the throne in the place of 
James II. 

Black Brunswickers. 

A regiment of horse raised by 
the Duke of Brunswick in 1809, 
to avenge the death of his father 
who was killed at Auerstadt. 
They wore black uniforms, and 
their badge was the skull and 
crossbones. 

Black Circuit. 

A circuit held in Cape Colony 
in 18 12 to investigate the 
charges brought by the London 
Missionary Society against the 
Dutch settlers of iUtreating their 
native slaves. The results 
showed that the charges were 
grossly exaggerated, but a great 
deal of illfeehngwas engendered 
amongst the Dutch by the 
thoroughness with which the 
EngUsh Government went into 
the matter. 

Black Clergy. 

The members of the regular 
monastic orders in Russia. They 
alone take any part in the 
ecclesiastical administration. 

Black Death. 

A pestilence which passed over 
Europe, and finally reached 
England in 1349. Its ravages 
were terrible, amounting, ac- 



cording to some chroniclers, 
to a third of the population. It 
probably had its origin in the 
East, and is thought by some 
to have been the disease now 
known as the Bubonic Plague. 

Black Eagle, Order of the. 

The most coveted of the 
Prussian orders of knighthood. 
It was founded by Frederick I 
in 1 70 1, to commemorate his 
assumption of the royal title. 
It is limited to thirty members, 
who must be of noble descent 
for four generations. 

Black Flags. 

Rebel Chinese in the service 
of the King of Annam, who 
were the most dangerous op- 
ponents of the French during 
the Tong-King war. 

Black Friday. 

May II, 1866, on which day 
the failure of Overend and Gur- 
ney was announced. There was 
a terrible panic in financial circles, 
and, among other extraordinary 
measures, it was found necessary 
to suspend the Bank Charter. 

Black Hole of Calcutta. 

The dungeon in which some 
200 English prisoners were con- 
fined when Calcutta was taken 
by Surabjah Dowlah, the Subah- 
dar of Bengal, in 1756. Only 
twenty-three survived the night. 

Black Monday. 

The name given to an Irish 
rising in County Dublin in 
1209, which nearly exterminated 
the newly-established English 
Colony. 

Black Popes. 

The chiefs of the Society of 
Jesus, during the Papacy of 
Pius IX, were known by this 
name, their power in Rome 



32 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



being almost as great as that of 
the Pope himself. 

Black Prince. 

The sobriquet of Edward, 
Prince of Wales, son of Edward 
III, from the black armour 
which he habitually wore. 

Black Rent. 

An annual stipend paid by 
the English settlers within the 
Pale to the Irish chieftains 
on their borders, in consideration 
of their restraining their fol- 
lowers from raiding the English 
settlements. Black Rent was 
first paid about 14 lo. 

Black Sea Treaty. 

A treaty signed in London 
in 1 87 1 by the signatories of 
the Treaty of Paris of 1856. 
In 1870, Russia, taking advan- 
tage of the Franco-German war, 
issued a note, declaring herself 
no longer bound by the clause 
of that treaty neutralising the 
Black Sea. A conference was 
called in London to consider the 
situation, and by the resulting 
treaty the clause in question 
was abrogated. The conference 
also took the opportunity to 
prolong the existence of the 
Danubian Commission for a 
further period of twelve years. 

Black Thursday. 

Thursday, February 6, 185 1, 
is so called in Victoria. A very 
dry summer was followed by the 
simultaneous outbreak on that 
day of numerous bush fires, 
which did enormous damage, 
and even threatened Melbourne, 
coming within a few miles of the 
town. 

Black Watch. 

A body of Highlanders, en- 
rolled in 1725 for the purpose of 



maintaining order in the High- 
lands. They were made a regu- 
lar line regiment in 1739, and 
numbered the 43rd. They later 
became the 42nd, and are now 
the Royal Highlanders (Black 
Watch). 

Black Wednesday. 

See Victorian Deadlocks. 

Blackbirders. 

The name given to the vessels 
engaged in the Kanaka labour 
trafiic in the Southern Seas. 

Blackburn Riots. 

A series of disturbances by 
the Lancashire weavers, in 1826, 
as a protest against the intro- 
duction of machinery. A large 
amount of damage was done 
before the rioters were dis- 
persed by the troops. 

Blanche Nef. 

The White Ship, in which 
Prince William, son of Henry I, 
was returning to England, after 
the close of Henry's second 
French war. The vessel struck 
coming out of Barfleur harbour, 
and only one of the crew escaped. 

Blancs d'Espagne. 

The name given to the ultra- 
royalist party in France who 
support the claim of the Spanish 
Bourbons, represented by Gene- 
ral de Bourbon, to the throne 
of France. 

Bland Act. 

An Act of Congress passed 
in 1878, at the instance of Mr. 
Bland, providing for the coin- 
age' of silver dollars of 41 2^ grains 
Troy, which should be legal 
tender in payment of all debts 
and dues. The State was 
bound to purchase not more 
than four or less than two mil- 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 33 



lion dollars worth of silver per 
annum, to be so coined, and the 
profit in the operation was to 
belong to the State. 

Blanketeers. 

The name given to a party of 
Lancashire operatives, who, in 
the famine year of 18 17, started 
to march to London, to demand 
assistance from Parliament. 
Each man carried provisions 
and a blanket, hence the name. 

Blanquillos. 

The supporters of Oribe in 
Uruguay, in 1835. Their op- 
ponents, who followed Rivera, 
were called Colorados. 

Bloc, Le. 

The name given to the general 
body of Republicans, of various 
shades of opinion, in the French 
Chamber, who supported the 
Ministry of M. Combes in 
1902-3. 

Bloemfontein Conference. 

A conference of delegates from 
Cape Colony, Natal, and the 
Orange Free State, which met in 
1895 to discuss the question of 
a Customs Union. Natal could 
not come to terms, and with- 
drew, but an arrangement was 
arrived at by the other two 
parties, and a convention tariff, 
with five per cent, ad valorem 
duties, was accepted by both 
Governments. 

Bloemfontein Convention. 

A convention signed in 1854, 
by which the British Govern- 
ment abolished the Orange River 
Sovereignty, and recognized the 
independence of the Orange 
Free State. Among the pro- 
visions of the treaty were clauses 
binding the British Government 
to make no treaties with native 



chiefs likely to be detrimental 
to the interests of the Republic, 
forbidding slavery, and pro- 
viding for extradition. 

Blood and Iron, The Man of. 

A nickname of Prince Bis- 
marck, taken from a phrase in 
a speech delivered by him in 
1862. 

Blood Bath of Stockholm. 

The execution, by Christian II, 
the last king of United Scandi- 
navia, of many of the leaders 
of the Swedish National party, 
in 1520, after the capture of 
Stockholm. In the same year 
Gustavus Vasa raised the stan- 
dard of revolt, and the war which 
followed led to the final ex- 
pulsion of the Danes, and the 
crowning of Gustavus as ICing of 
Sweden. 

Blood Council. 

A tribunal established in 
1567 by Alva in the Nether- 
lands, to deal with the crime of 
treason. It had no charter, 
or of&cial authority of any kind, 
but it practically usurped the 
functions of the Council of 
State, and exercised jurisdiction 
over all municipal bodies and 
provincial parliaments. It was 
abolished in 1576. It was also 
known as the Council of 
Troubles. 

Blood, Man of. 

Charles I was so called by the 
Puritan party, because he waged 
war on the Parliament. 

Blood Tax. 

The sixteenth section of the 
Crimes Act of 1882, by which it 
was proposed to levy compen- 
sation for murder or maiming 
on the ratepayers of the dis 
trict where the crime was com- 

D 



34 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



mitted, was so called by the 
Irish members. 

Blood-red Wedding. 

See Noces Vermeilles. 

Blood-wite. 

Another name for Were-gild. 

Bloods, The Five. 

The five chief septs or clans 
in Ireland in the middle ages. 
They were the O'Neills of 
Ulster, the O'Briens of Thomond, 
the O'Connors of Connaught, 
the O'Lachlans of Meath, and 
the M'Murroughs of Leinster. 

Bloody Assize of Eperies. 

A tribunal established by 
Leopold I of Austria after the 
defeat of the Turks at Vienna 
and their expulsion from Hun- 
gary. It was intended to remove 
those who had been concerned 
in Tokoli's rising, and many 
nobles and magnates were 
brought before this tribunal on 
the charge of being in corres- 
pondence with Tokoli. Most 
of those accused were condem- 
ned, and so numerous were the 
victims that thirty executioners 
were employed. 

Bloody Assizes. 

The Assizes held by Jeffreys 
on the Western Circuit, shortly 
after the suppression of Mon- 
mouth's rebellion in 1686. Hun- 
dreds of Monmouth's adherents 
were sent to the scaffold, or 
transported as slaves to the 
West Indies. 

Bloody Statute. 

The Act of the Six Articles, 
passed in the reign of Henry 
VIII, was so called. 

Blue-Grass State. 

A name sometimes given to 
the State of Kentucky, U.S.A., 



which contains the famous blue 
grass region, celebrated for the 
raising of horses. 

Blue Laws of Connecticut. 

A series of enactments said 
to have existed in Connecticut, 
circ. 1640, by which the death 
penalty was inflicted for idola- 
try, blasphemy, witchcraft, 
theft, perjury, adultery and 
disobedience to parents. It is, 
however, generally believed that 
they are apocryphal. 

Bluff King Hal. 

The nickname of Henry VIII. 

Board of Control. 

The board established by 
Pitt's India Act in 1784 to 
supervise the Government of 
India by the East India Com- 
pany. 

Bobbing John. 

The sobriquet of the Earl of 
Mar, the Jacobite leader in the 
rebellion of 18 15. He was a 
notorious trimmer. 

Bocca di Leone. 

The name given to the open- 
ing in the wall of the ante- 
chamber in the Doge's Palace 
at Venice, into which anonymous 
accusations were dropped. 

Bocland. 

In Saxon times, land held by 
grant or by charter from the 
public lands. 

Body of Liberties. 

The first constitution of Mas- 
sachusetts, prepared by Nathan- 
iel Ward. It provided that all 
public officials should be chosen 
annually by the freemen of the 
plantation. Each town also 
elected deputies to a general 
assembly, to serve for one year. 
Each town had the right to make 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 35 



its own bye-laws. It further 
provided for the annual election 
of judges, and for equal justice 
to all, including foreigners, while 
severe penalties were enacted 
for witchcraft and blasphemy. 

Bomba. 

The sobriquet of Ferdinand 
II, King of the Two Sicilies 
(1759-1825). 

Bombay, Cession of. 

Bombay was ceded to Charles 
II by Portugal in 1662, as part 
of the dowry of the Infanta 
of Portugal. In 1668 it was 
surrendered by the Crown to 
the East India Company. 

Bonaght. 

See Coyne and Livery. 

Bond. 

See Afrikander. 

Bond-Blaine Convention. 

An agreement between New- 
foundland and the United States, 
signed in 1890, providing for 
the continuance of the modus 
Vivendi affording reciprocal fish- 
ing rights to the two countries. 

Bondevenner. 

The Peasants' Friends, a 
political party formed in Den- 
mark in 1845, in the interests of 
the rural population. 

Bondi. 

In Norse times, the freeholders 
or owners of Odal land. 

Book of Rates. 

A table of unauthorized im- 
port duties issued by Cecil, Earl 
of Salisbury, in 1608, after the 
decision in the Crown's favour 
in Bates' case. In 1610 the 
Commons declared these im- 
positions illegal. 

Book of Sports. 

A declaration of James I in 



161 8, as to the sports which 
might lawfully be indulged in 
on Sundays after Divine Ser- 
vice. Dancing, archery, may- 
poles, leaping were permitted; 
bear-baiting was forbidden. 
None, however, might take part 
unless they had been to church. 

Booth's Conspiracy. 

A conspiracy headed by John 
Wilkes Booth, at the end of the 
American Civil War, having for 
its object the assassination of 
the President, Vice-President, 
and some others. President 
Lincoln was shot by Booth on 
April 14, 1865, and on the same 
date Seward, the Secretary of 
State, was wounded by Payne, 
another of the conspirators. 
The conspirators were brought 
to trial, and four of them 
hanged, the others being sen- 
tenced to various terms of im- 
prisonment. 

Border Laws. 

A code of laws framed in 1249 
by a commission composed of 
twelve English and twelve Scot- 
tish knights. They dealt with 
the surrender of fugitives cross- 
ing the border, and provided for 
the trial of border raiders by 
special courts, held under the 
joint authority of the two 
nations. 

Border States. 

Before the American Civil 
War, this name was applied to 
the States bordering on the 
free states, namely, Delaware, 
Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, 
and Missouri. 

Borough English, Custom of. 

An old system of land tenure, 
still existing in certain ancient 
boroughs, whereb}'' real estate 
passes to the youngest son. 



36 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Boston Massacre. 

A small affray in Boston in 
1770, in which the troops fired 
on the rioters, and a few persons 
were killed. Captain Preston, 
who commanded the troops, 
was tried and acquitted. 

Boston Port Act. 

An Act passed in 1774, closing 
the Custom House and Port of 
Boston. It was passed as a 
measure of retaliation for the 
action of the inhabitants in 
preventing the importation of 
tea by the East India Company 
free of the English duty. 

Boston Tea Riots. 

In December, 1773, on the 
arrival of the tea-ships of the 
East India Company, bringing 
duty-free tea, the ships were 
boarded by a party of men dis- 
guised as Red Indians, who 
threw the tea into the harbour. 
The result of this action was the 
passing of the Boston Port 
Act. 

Botany Bay. 

A small inlet in the coast of 
New South Wales, where the 
first convict establishment was 
formed in 1787. The penal 
settlement was removed to Port 
Jackson in the following year, 
but the name was constantly 
used, generically, for the convict 
settlements in Australia. 

Boulangists. 

The supporters of General 
Boulanger, who obtained a brief 
popularity in France in 1886, 
largely owing to the army re- 
forms he introduced while Minis- 
ter of War. He gradually, 
however, attracted to his stan- 
dard the reactionary parties, 
who hoped that he would destroy 



Parliamentary Government. 

He quickly obtained a large 
following in the country, rather 
by denunciation of Parliament- 
ary abuses than by the advo- 
cacy of any definite policy, and 
in 1888 he was elected for three 
Departments. At this period he 
might have overturned the 
Government, but shrank from 
the decisive step, and from that 
time his influence began to wane. 
He left France to escape prose- 
cution, and his following quickly 
dwindled awav, until in 1890, it 
was found desirable to dissolve 
the Boulangist committee. 
Boulanger committed suicide 
in Brussels in 189 1. 

Bounty, Mutiny of the. 

A mutiny on board H.M.S. 
Bounty, Captain Bligh, headed 
by a master's mate named 
Christian, in 1790. The mutin- 
eers made first for Tahiti, but 
eventually settled on Pitcairn 
Island, where they founded a 
community whose descendants 
still inhabit the island. Pit- 
cairn Island was taken under 
British protection in 1839. 

Boustrapa. 

A nickname of Napoleon III, 
compounded of the first syllables 
of Boulogne, Strasbourg, and 
Paris, the scenes of his two 
unsuccessful and one successful 
coups d'etat, in 1840, 1836, and 
1 85 1 respectively. 

Bow Street Runners. 

Eight famous police officers, 
attached to Bow Street Police 
Court, who were appointed 
about 1805. The most famous 
of them was Townsend. They 
were also known as the " Robin 
Redbreasts " from their red 
waistcoats. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



37 



Boxers. 

A Chinese Secret Society, 
whose principal object is the 
expulsion from China of Euro- 
peans, and especially of mission- 
aries. They have met with 
considerable sympathy in Court 
circles, and their outrages in 
1900 led to a joint European 
expedition. Their rising was 
suppressed for a time, but the 
agitation is seething, and may 
break out again at any time. 

Boy Popes. 

This title is given to John XII, 
who was elected Pope in 956, 
at the age of eighteen, and Bene- 
dict IX, who was Pope from 
1033 to 1044, having been 
chosen at the age of ten. 

Boyars. 

In early Russian history, the 
large landowners, under the 
authority of the great princes 
who ruled the various Principali- 
ties into which Russia was 
divided. 

Boycotting. 

One of the weapons employed 
by the Irish Land League, in 
its campaign against the land- 
lords. It consists in ostraciz- 
ing the person aimed at, and 
forbidding any one to deal with 
or work for him, or supply his 
wants. Its first victim was 
Captain Boycott, the agent of the 
Earl of Erne in 1880, and from 
his name the word is derived. 

Boys. 

The name given by Walpole 
to the party of young Whigs, 
under William Pitt, who acted 
with the " Patriots " in 1733. 

Braemar Gathering. 

See Hunting of Braemar. 



Brahmins. 

The highest or priestly caste 
among the Hindus, 

Brahmo Somaj. 

A Hindu sect, founded in 
1830 by Rammohun Roy. Its 
tenets are monotheistic, reject- 
ing the numerous gods of the 
Hindu Pantheon, and adoring 
Brahma as the supreme deity. 
Its adherents ignore all caste 
distinctions. 

Brandy Nan. 

Queen Anne was so called by 
the Londoners. 

Bras de Fer. 

The sobriquet of Baldwin, 
first Count of Flanders. 

Bras Droit du Cardinal. 

A nickname of Fran9ois du 
Tremblay, the familiar of 
Cardinal' Richelieu. He was 
also called the Alter Ego of 
Richelieu, and VEminence 
Grise. 

Brass Band, The Pope's. 

A band of agitators in Ireland, 
under the leadership of John 
Sadleir, who stumped the 
country in opposition to the 
Ecclesiastical Titles Bill in 
1851. 

Brave des Braves, Le Plus. 

The sobriquet of Marshal 
Ney, conferred on him by 
Napoleon during the Russian 
campaign of 18 12. 

Bread and Cheese War. 

A peasant revolt in Kemmer- 
land and Friesland in 1491, 
caused b}' the exaction of the 
Ruytergeld, notwithstanding the 
enormous price of bread. 

Bread Riots. 

A series of disturbances in 
various parts of England, in 



38 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



1816, caused by the high prices 
of food-stuffs, due to the bad 
harvest and the cessation of 
the Great War. In many places 
it was necessary to call out the 
military to disperse the rioters. 

Breda, Compromise of. 

The agreement between the 
Catholic and Protestant nobles 
of the Netherlands to agitate 
for the exclusion of the Inquisi- 
tion. It was signed at Breda 
in 1566, and from it originated 
the Society of the Gueux. 

Breda, Declaration of. 

A manifesto issued by Charles 
II, in 1660, after the retirement 
of Richard Cromwell. By this 
instrument he promised a 
general amnesty, liberty of 
conscience, the settlement by 
Parliament of the various claims 
to forfeited estates, and pay- 
ment of all arrears due to the 
army, subject always to such 
advice as might subsequently 
be tendered him by Parliament, 

Breda, Peace of. 

Three treaties signed by 
England with Holland, France 
and Denmark respectively in 
1667, after the naval war with 
Holland, in which de Witte had 
succeeded in penetrating to 
Sheerness. By the treaty with 
Holland, each country retained 
her conquests, England thus 
securing New York and New 
Jersey, and Holland, Surinam. 
By the treaty with France, 
England acquired St. Kitts, 
Antigua and Montserrat, and 
restored to France Nova Scotia 
and Cayenne. By that with 
Denmark, the latter power re- 
served her right to the Orkneys. 

Brehon Law. 

The Irish Law which pre- 



vailed throughout Ireland after 
the conquest by Henry II, 
excepting within the Pale. It 
was abolished in the reign of 
James I. 

Breslau, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Prussia 
and Austria, signed in 1742, 
after Frederick's victory at 
Chotusitz. Austria ceded Si- 
lesia to Prussia. 

Bretigny, Peace of. 

A treaty, signed in 1360, four 
years after the battle of Poi- 
tiers, between Edward III and 
the Dauphin Charles. By it 
France surrendered to England, 
Gascony, Guienne, and Poitou, 
Saintonge, Perigord,Limoges and 
other counties in the south, 
Montreuil, Ponthieu and Calais 
in the north, freed from all 
feudal claims. England sur- 
rendered her claim to the French 
crown, and to all sovereignty 
in Normandy, Touraine, Anjou, 
Maine, Brittany and Flanders, 
and agreed to release King John 
on payment of a ransom of three 
million gold pieces. 

Breton Club. 

A revolutionary club formed 
in Paris in the early days of the 
Revolution. Its founders were 
certain Breton deputies, and 
among its members were many 
who were afterwards prominent 
Jacobins, amongst others Robes- 
pierre. 

Bretts and Scots, Laws of the. 
The code of laws under which 
the Celtic inhabitants of Scot- 
land were governed, up to the 
thirteenth century. This code 
was abolished by an edict of 
Edward I, when he conquered 
Scotland in 1305. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 39 



Bretwalda. 

Under the Saxon Heptarchy, 
the sovereign of one of the 
seven kingdoms was often ac- 
knowledged as the leader of the 
Federation, under the title of 
Bretwalda. 

Brewer of Ghent. 

James van Arteveldt, the 
leader of the Burgher party in 
Flanders in 1338, was so called. 

Bridal of Norwich. 

A conspiracy against Wil- 
liam I, entered into at the bridal 
feast of Ralph of Gwader, Earl 
of Norfolk, and Emma, sister 
of the Earl of Hereford. The 
two earls, with Waltheof, Earl 
of Nottingham, designed to 
depose William and divide the 
kingdom between them. Wal- 
theof seems to have repented, 
and confessed the plot to Lan- 
franc. The conspiracy was at 
once suppressed, Waltheof exe- 
cuted, and Hereford imprisoned 
for life, while Ralph escaped to 
Brittany. 

Bride of the Sea. 

Venice was so called, in allu- 
sion to the annual ceremony of 
the Marriage of the Adriatic. 

Brig-bot. 

In Anglo-Saxon times, a tax 
levied on freemen for the repair 
of bridges, 

Brigham, Treaty of. 

A treaty between England 
and Scotland signed in 1290, 
by which a marriage was ar- 
ranged between the Maid of 
Norway, heiress to the Scottish 
throne, and the son of Edward I. 
It was agreed that the two king- 
doms, though under one crown, 
should remain separate, each 
under its own laws. England 
was not to call on Scotland for 



military aid, and no appeal was 
to lie from the Scotch to the 
English courts. The death of 
the Maid of Norway, however, 
rendered the stipulations of this 
treaty null and void. 

Bright Clauses. 

The clauses in the Irish Land 
Act of 1870, dealing with the 
sale of land to tenants are so 
called, John Bright having for 
many years advocated State 
aid in the creation of a peasant 
proprietary in Ireland. 

Brilliant Madman. 

Charles XII of Sweden is 
so called. 

Brissotins. 

The followers of Brissot, one 
of the leaders of the Gironde, 
during the French Revolution. 
The name fell into disuse, as 
the party became merged in the 
Girondins. 

Bristol Riots. 

A riot in Bristol in 1831, con- 
sequent upon the rejection of 
the Reform Bill by the House 
of Lords. The Recorder of 
Bristol, Sir Charles Wetherell, 
was mobbed on his entrance 
into the city, and the rioters 
seized the town hall. The 
weakness of the authorities left 
the disorder unchecked for two 
days, but at the last the mihtary 
were called out and the disturb- 
ance suppressed. 

British Empire League. 

An association formed in 
1896 to carry on the work of the 
Imperial Federation League, in 
educating the nation to an 
understanding of the needs of 
the Empire. The Duke of 
Devonshire was the first presi- 
dent. 



40 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Broad-bottomed Administration. 

Pelham's Ministry as recon- 
structed in 1744 was so called, 
because it contained members 
representing every shade of 
Whig opinion, and even a certain 
admixture of Toryism. 

Bromsebro, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Sweden and 
Denmark, signed in 1645, by 
which Denmark surrendered 
Jamtland, Hejealand and 
Halland, and granted to Swed- 
ish vessels exemption from the 
payment of Sound Dues. 

Brother Jonathan. 

The nickname of the American 
nation. 

Brothers, Battle of the. 

The name given to the battle 
of Fontenay, June 25, 841, at 
which Charles the Bald and 
Louis the German, sons of Louis 
le Debonaire, totally defeated 
their brother Lothair. 

Brownists. 

A dissenting sect, who seceded 
from the Church in 1582. They 
objected to general church 
government, and claimed for 
each congregation the right to 
regulate its own worship. They 
may be considered the fore- 
runners of the Independents. 

Brunnen, League of. 

See Perpetual League. 

Brussels Conference, 1874. 

A conference of the Powers 
held in Brussels in 1874, at the 
suggestion of the Russian 
Government, to consider the 
usages of war. Great Britain 
entered the conference with 
many reservations, declining 
to send a plenipotentiary, and 
no changes of any importance 
were agreed to. 



Brussels Conference, 1876. 

A conference of the Powers 
held at Brussels in 1876, at 
which an International Associa- 
tion was formed for the purpose 
of exploring and civilizing 
Central Africa, This association 
was the germ of the Congo Free 
State. 

Brussels Convention. 

A convention signed by the 
sugar-producing countries in 
1902, by which the contracting 
parties undertook that in the 
event of any sugar-producing 
country declining to abolish 
bounties, they would prohibit 
the importation of sugar from 
such country, or impose counter- 
vailing duties. 

Brussels, Union of. 

An agreement, signed in 15 17 
by certain Catholic noblemen 
of the Netherlands, to unite for 
the purpose of expelling the 
Spanish garrison, while at the 
same time maintaining the 
Catholic religion, and the sover- 
eignty of the king. 

Buccaneers. 

An association of sea-rovers 
formed about 1525, to harry 
the Spanish possessions in South 
America, and prey upon their 
commerce. They were of 
various nationalities, but chiefly 
English and French, and their 
most famous leaders were Mont- 
bars, known as the Exterminator, 
and Henry Morgan, afterwards 
Sir Henry, and Deputy-Governor 
of Jamaica. Under the latter 
leader they crossed the Isthmus 
and sacked the city of Panama 
in 1 67 1, and for years they 
paralyzed the Spanish trade, 
both in the Caribbean Sea and 
in the Pacific. They ceased to 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



41 



exist as an association early in 
the eighteenth century, but 
some of them continued a career 
of indiscriminate piracy for many 
years longer. They were called 
by the French Flibustiers. 

Bucharest, Treaty of. 

A treaty, signed by Russia 
and Turkey in 18 12, after the 
war which began in 1806, and 
ended in the defeat of the Turks 
by Kutusoff in the later year. 
Turkey by this treaty surren- 
dered all her territory north of 
the Pruth. 

Buckeye State. 

The popular name of the 
State of Ohio, U.S.A., from the 
number of buckeye-trees found 
within its borders. 

Budchaz, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Poland and 
Turkey, signed in 1670, by 
which Poland surrendered the 
Ukraine, and agreed to pay an 
annual tribute of 20,000 ducats. 

Bulgarian Atrocities. 

A rising of the Mohammedan 
inhabitants of Bulgaria, assisted 
by the Bashi-Bazouks, or 
Turkish Irregulars, against the 
Christians in 1876. Thousands 
of Christians were massacred, 
and horrible cruelties perpe- 
trated, though it is held by some 
authorities that the stories told 
were grossly exaggerated. 
Turkey refused redress, and 
Russia consequently declared 
war in the following year. 

Bulls, Papal. 

See Adrian, Ausculta Fili, 
Clericis Laicos, Cum ex Aposto- 
latus, Decet Romanum, Demar- 
cation, Deposition, Dominus 
ac Redemptor, Exsurge Dom- 
ine, Golden, Greater, In Coena 



Domini, In Eminenti, Ineffa- 
bilis Deus, Inter Gravissimas, 
Lesser, Regimen Militantis, 
Unam Sanctam, Unigenitus, 
Vox in Excelso. 

Bundesrath. 

The assembly of representa- 
tives of the twenty-two states 
forming the North German 
Confederation. 

Bundschuh. 

A peasant revolt in Germany 
in 1502. 

Burgage. 

The tenure by which bur- 
gesses of towns held their lands. 
It was similar to socage. 

Burgfrieden. 

A confederation of the cities 
of the Rhine, formed for com- 
mercial purposes, circ. 1255. 

Burgher Senate. 

A council of six members, 
established at the Cape in 1796, 
after the capture of that Colony 
by the English. Its duties 
were to advise the Governor in 
matters of internal adipinistra- 
tion. It was abolished in 1828. 

Burgos, Laws of. 

A code of laws regulating the 
employment of Indian labour 
in the Spanish-American Colo- 
nies, promulgated at Burgos 
in 1572. 

Burgundians. 
See Armagnacs. 

Burlaw. 

See Jedburgh Justice. 

Burning of Frendraught. 

A feud between the Crichtons 
of Frendraught and the Gordons 
of Huntly having been tem- 
porarily adjusted, the Gordons 
escorted the Crichtons home. 
The Gordon party, including 



42 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Lord Aboyne, Huntly's heir, 
were entertained for the night 
by the Crichtons, and during 
the night the tower in which 
they were sleeping was burnt 
to the ground. The fire was 
beUeved to be incendiary, but 
the crime was not brought home 
to the Crichtons. 

Burnt Candlemas. 

The name given to the march 
of Edward III into Scotland in 
1355. He burnt every build- 
ing, and laid waste the country 
for a distance of twenty miles 
from the coast. 

Burr's Conspiracy. 

A plot initiated by Aaron 
Burr and Harman Blenner- 
hassett in 1805, to free Mexico 
from Spanish rule, and unite it 
into an independent empire 
with some of the Western 
American States. Burr was 
arrested and tried for treason 
in Kentucky, and again in 
Virginia in 1807, but was on 
both occasions acquitted. 

Burschenschaft. 

A club of German students 
who had fought in the Napole- 
onic wars, founded at Jena in 
18 1 5. It was suspected of 
revolutionary tendencies, and 
was dissolved by the Prussian 
Government in 18 19. 

Butcher, The. 

The Duke of Cumberland 
was so called by the Scots, on 
account of his cruelties after 
the battle of Culloden in 1746. 

Bye Plot. 

A conspiracy in 1603, under 
the leadership of George Brooke 
and Markham, to unite the 
Roman Catholics and Puritans 
in an attempt to secure tolera- 



tion for the extremists of both 
classes. Their idea was to 
seize James I, and hold him 
to ransom. At the same period 
a plot to overthrow Cecil was 
entered into by Sir Walter 
Raleigh, Lord Cobham, the 
Duke of Northumberland and 
others, known as the Main 
Plot. These plots were be- 
trayed to Cecil by the Jesuits, 
one of whom named Watson 
had been concerned in them, 
and the ringleaders were ar- 
rested. Watson and another 
were executed, Raleigh im- 
prisoned, and the others par- 
doned. 

Bywoners. 

Boers in the Transvaal and 
Orange Free State who had no 
land of their own, and lived by 
working on the farms of others, 
or sometimes as small tenant 
farmers. 



Ca Ira. 

A revolutionary song, highly 
popular in Paris, composed in 
1789 for the Fete de la Federa- 
tion. 

Caaba. 

The sacred shrine of Mecca, 
the holy place of the whole 
Moslem world. A Moham- 
medan who has made the pil- 
grimage to Mecca is known as 
a Hadji. 

Cabal. 

The Ministry which succeeded 
to power when Charles II dis- 
missed Clarendon in 1667. Its 
members were Clifford, Arling- 
ton, Buckingham, Ashley (after- 
wards Lord Shaftesbury), and 
Lauderdale, the initials of these 
names forming the word" Cabal." 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 43 



Cabal, American. 

A low intrigue in the Ameri- 
can Congress in 1777, directed 
against Washington. Those con- 
cerned in it were mostly re- 
presentatives of the Northern 
States, and its object was the 
advancement of Lee. It is 
also known as Conway's cabal, 
from the name of its leader. 

Cabanagem. 

The rebels who overran the 
Amazon Valley and other parts 
of Brazil, in 1833 to 1836, after 
the abdication of Pedro I. 
The name means cottagers. 

Cabinet Noir. 

A department of the French 
Post Office, established in the 
reign of Louis XIV, for the sur- 
veillance of the correspondence 
of suspected persons. Napo- 
leon III availed himself of its 
services freely, and it was only 
abolished in 1886. 

Cabochiens. 

The guild of butchers in 
Paris, so called from Caboche, 
one of their leaders. They 
were bitter opponents of the 
Armagnacs, and were guilty of 
terrible atrocities on the persons 
of their political foes. The cor- 
poration was dissolved in 14 16. 

Cacos. 

A pohtical party in Guate- 
mala in 1820, who favoured 
complete separation from Spain, 
and the establishment of a 
republic. The word means 
pickpockets. 

Cadan, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the leading 
German Princes, signed in 1534, 
by which Ferdinand of Austria 
acknowledged Ulrich, Duke of 
Wurtemberg, with the proviso 



that Wurtemberg was to be 
considered an arriere-fief of the 
Empire, dependent on Austria* 
The League of Schmalkald 
acknowledged Ferdinand as 
King of the Romans, but 
stipulated that in future that 
dignity should only be con- 
ferred by the unanimous vote 
of the electors. 

Caen, Treaty of. 

A treaty between William 
Rufus and Robert of Normandy, 
signed in 1091, by^^ which Robert 
renounced all claim to England, 
and recognized WiUiam's 
feudal rights over certain 
Norman Seigneuries, among 
others those of Cherbourg, 
Fecamp, and .Mont^St.^ Michel. 

Cahiers de Doleances. 

The instructions given to the 
Deputies of the States-General, 
as to the grievances to be laid 
before the King in 1789. The 
principal demands were : 
equality in punishments ; sup 
pression of the sale of public 
o£&ces ; suppression of seig- 
norial judicial powers, of the 
Gabelle, the corvee and the 
militia ballot ; religious tolera- 
tion, and amelioration of the 
condition of the parish clergy. 

Caisse de Poissy. 

A species of bank, established 
at Poissy, near Paris, under 
municipal control, to secure the 
proper provisioning of the 
Paris market. It proceeded 
by way of loan to the butchers, 
charging interest on the ad- 
vances and a percentage on 
all meat purchased, and as 
none could enter the markets 
without a certificate of s the 
payment of this fee, it had abso- 
lute control of the trade. It 



44 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



was abolished in 1791, re- 
established in 1 8 10, under the 
control of the Prefect of the 
Seine, and finally abolished in 
1858. 

Calatrava, Knights of. 

A Spanish order of religious 
chivalry, established by Papal 
Bull in 1 164. The rules of the order 
were similar to those of the 
Benedictines, the knights being 
bound, among other vows, to 
perpetual celibacy. The object 
of the order was the expulsion 
of the Mussulman power from 
Spain. 

Calendar Act. 

An Act passed in 175 1 sub- 
stituting the Gregorian for the 
Julian Calendar. With the 
exception of Sweden and Russia, 
England was the last country 
to adopt the new style. 

Calixtines. 

The more moderate of the 
two sections into which the 
Hussite sect was divided after 
the death of Jerome of Prague. 
The more fanatical section was 
that of John Zisca, known as 
the Taborites. 

Calvin, Institutes of. 

The profession of the Calvin- 
istic doctrine, issued by Calvin, 
1535- 
Camarilla. 

The name given to the favour- 
ites and admirers of Fer- 
dinand VII of Spain, after his 
restoration in 18 14. They were 
in reality the rulers of Spain, 
distributing justice and office 
throughout the kingdom to the 
highest bidder. 

Cambray, League of. 

An alliance between Louis XII 
and the Emperor Maximilian, 



formed in 1508, for the parti- 
tion of the Venetian provinces 
between the contracting parties. 
The Venetian armies were 
forced to retreat before the 
allies, but the partition was 
never carried into effect, and 
the league was dissolved by 
the Treaty of Noyon in 15 16. 

Cambray, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Charles V 
and Francis I, signed in 1529, 
confirming the main provisions 
of the Treaty of Madrid (1526), 
which had been found unaccept- 
able by the French notables. 
This treaty is generally known 
as the Paix des Dames. 

Camel-driver of Mecca. 

A nickname of Mohammed. 

Cameronians. 

An extreme section of the 
Covenanters who followed 
Richard Cameron in 1679. 
They were afterwards (1689) 
formed into a regiment, and 
served against the Jacobites 
in the Highlands in that year. 
The regiment later became the 
Twenty-sixth Regiment of the 
Line, and is now known as the 
Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). 

Camissards. 

The Protestants of the Ceven- 
nes, who rose in rebellion in 
1702. The revolt was sup- 
pressed in 1704. 

Camorra. 

A secret society in Naples, 
which for many years terrorized 
the kingdom. An attempt 
was made by Francis II of 
Naples to suppress the society, 
and many of its members were 
deported, but the remainder 
joined the Garibaldians and 
were largely instrumental in 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 45 



the expulsion of the Bourbons 
in 1867. 

Campo Formio, Treaty of. 

A treaty between France 
and Austria, following Napo- 
leon's successful campaign in 
Northern Italy, signed in 1797. 
France secured possession of 
the Belgian provinces, the left 
bank of the Rhine, and the 
Ionian Islands, and recognized 
the Cisalpine Republic, formed 
out of the territories conquered 
from Austria, Venice and the 
Pope. Austria resigned the 
city of Venice, and her eastern 
provinces, Dalmatia, Friuli 
and Istria. 

Canada Act. 

An Act passed in 1774, giving 
a constitution to Canada. 

Canada, Confederation of. 

An Act was passed in 1867, 
for the purpose of confederating 
the two provinces of Canada 
with Nova Scotia and New 
Brunswick, and providing a 
federal constitution. Pro- 
vision was also made for the 
admission into the Dominion 
of such other of the North 
American Colonies as might 
desire to come in. Under this 
clause Manitoba joined the con- 
federation in 1870, British 
Columbia and Vancouver's 
Island in 1871, and Prince 
Edward's Island in 1873. The 
Hudson's Bay Territory having 
been acquired in 1869, the 
whole of the British possessions 
in North America are now 
included in the Dominion, with 
the exception of Newfound- 
land. 

Canadian Fisheries Question. 

A long-standing dispute be- 



tween Canada and the United 
States, dating from the treaty 
of peace of 1783, when American 
fishermen were given fishing 
rights on the coast of Canada. 
The Americans claimed that 
this right was inalienable, 
England that it was forfeited 
during the second war. In 
18 18 a modus vivendi was ar- 
rived at by which the Americans 
were allowed to fish outside 
the three mile limit, but friction 
still continued till 1871, when 
a treaty was signed at Washing- 
ton giving the two countries 
reciprocal rights. Canada 
maintained that the right to 
fish off the American coast was 
of little value to her, and in 1877 
a commission was appointed, 
which met at Halifax, to assess 
the damage she had sustained. 
The award of the commission 
was that Canada and Newfound- 
land should receive five and a 
half million dollars as compensa- 
tion. 

Canons of 1604. 

The new canons, issued by 
Convocation in 1604, contained 
regulations for the conduct of 
public worship. They excom- 
municated all who attacked the 
Prayer Book, the Thirty-nine 
Articles, or the Supremacy of 
the Crown, as also those who 
seceded from the Church. They 
were, however, held by the 
Courts at Westminster to be 
binding only on the clergy. 

Canons of 1640. 

A series of seventeen canons, 
supplementary to the canons 
of 1604, issued by Convocation, 
and confirmed by the King, 
under the Great Seal. Parlia- 
ment subsequently passed a 
measure giving them full canoni- 



46 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



cal validity, but not the force 
of an Act of Parliament. 

Canossa. 

The castle of Matilda of Tus- 
cany, where Gregory VII was 
staying when the Emperor 
Henry IV made a pilgrimage 
to Italy, in 1077, to make his 
submission to the Pope, who 
had excommunicated him. He 
was treated in the most humili- 
ating fashion by Gregory, who 
left him for three days in the 
snow in the courtyard of the 
Castle before consenting to re- 
ceive him. It is to this incident 
that Bismarck referred in the 
famous phrase, " Nach Canossa 
gehen wir nicht " (We are not 
going to Canossa), uttered in 
the Reichstag in 1872, during 
the Kulturkampf. 

Canossa Bill. 

A bill introduced into the 
Prussian Landstag in 1880, 
making great concessions to the 
Catholic clergy, but maintaining 
the supremacy of the State over 
the Church. 

Capitularies. 

The edicts of the early French 
Kings were so called. 

Capitulations. 

Arrangements by which 
foreigners are subject to the 
jurisdiction of their own con- 
suls, and not to the tribunals 
of the country in which they 
are residing. These are gener- 
ally in force in Mohammedan 
and other non-Christian states, 
where Western ideas of justice 
are non-existent. 

Caporal Violet. 

Napoleon was so called by 
his adherents in France, during 
his exile in Elba in 1814-15. 



Cappel, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the five 
Catholic Cantons of Switzerland, 
and Zurich and Berne, follow- 
ing the defeat of the two latter 
States at Cappel, and the death 
of Zwingli, in 1531. Zurich and 
Berne consented to tolerate 
Catholicism in their dominions. 

Carbonari. 

A Sicilian secret society, 
utilized by the Bourbons of 
Naples against Murat. The 
name was afterwards adopted 
by the ultra-royalist secret 
societies in France, which con- 
spired against Louis XVIII in 
1822. 
Carlisle, Statute of. 

A statute of 1307, enacting 
that no Papal instruments 
should be permitted in Eng- 
land. 

Carlists. 

The supporters of Don Carlos 
and his branch of the Bourbon 
family, as claimants to the 
Spanish throne. Don Carlos 
was the younger brother of 
Ferdinand VII, and under the 
constitution of 18 12 should 
have inherited the throne, as 
the female succession was ex- 
cluded. In 1832, however, 
Ferdinand, who had already, 
by a decree which he subse- 
quently withdrew, readmitted 
the principle of female succes- 
sion, finally settled the crown 
on his daughter Isabella, who 
succeeded in the same year, 
with her mother, Christina, as 
regent. Don Carlos was exiled, 
but various risings have since 
taken place in support of his 
claims, chiefly in the Biscayan 
provinces, including the first 
Carlist War, which lasted till 
1840. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 47 



Carlowitz, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1699, by 
which Turkey finally surren- 
dered the various provinces of 
the Ottoman Empire conquered 
by the Allies during the wars 
of the preceding forty years. 
Austria retained Transylvania, 
Sclavonia and Hungary ; Po- 
land took Podolia and part of 
the Ukraine ; Russia, her con- 
quests on the Black Sea, and 
Venice, the Morea. 

Carlsbad, Congress of. 

A congress of Austria, Prussia, 
and other German States, held 
in 1 8 19, to consider measures 
for dealing with the growth of 
democratic movement in Ger- 
many. It issued the Carlsbad 
Decrees. 

Carlsbad Decrees. 

A series of proposals sub- 
mitted to the German Diet by 
the Congress of Carlsbad, and 
accepted by the Diet. They 
included the establishment of a 
strict censorship of the press, 
and the suppression of the 
Burschenschaft. 
Carmagnole. 

The favourite song of the 
Paris mob, during the Reign of 
Terror (1792-3.) 

Carmelites. 

A religious order, originally 
formed by associating the her- 
mits living on the slopes of Mount 
Carmel about 11 56. They were 
recognized as a monastic order 
by Honorius III, in 1224. They 
were driven out of Palestine by 
the Saracens in 1238, and were 
made a mendicant order by 
Innocent IV. in 1247. 

Carolina, Proprietaries of. 

The original landowners of 
Carolina, to whom the Colony 



was granted by Charles II in 
1643. They were eight in 
number, among whom were 
Clarendon, Monk and Lord 
Craven. Their authority was 
practically absolute, Charles 
exacting a bare allegiance to 
the English crown. 

Caroline Islands Arbitration. 

In 1885 Germany endeavoured 
to establish a protectorate over 
the Caroline Islands, which 
Spain claimed to have been 
under her dominion since the 
seventeenth century. Germany 
disputed this claim and occu- 
pied Yap. Matters became 
very serious, and the two coun- 
tries were on the verge of war. 
It was, however, finally agreed 
to submit the question to the 
Pope, who gave his award in 
favour of Spain, as to the 
sovereignty, but allowed to 
Germany free trading and colo- 
nizing rights. 

Caroline Ordinance. 

A codification of the criminal 
laws of Germany, issued by the 
Diet of Ratisbon, in the name 
of Charles V, in 1532. 

Carpet-baggers. 

Northerners who came into 
the Southern States after the 
Civil War, many of them with 
the object of getting returned 
for Congress by the aid of the 
negro vote. The name was 
intended to convey the idea 
that they had no stake or 
interest in the country, beyond 
the baggage they carried with 
them. 

Cartel System. 

A system prevailing in Ger- 
many and Austria, by which a 
ring of sugar manufacturers, 
aided by heavy import duties, 



48 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



combine to obtain very high 
prices for all sugar consumed 
at home. They utilize the large 
profits thus secured to ship the 
surplus sugar below cost price, 
thus securing for themselves 
all unprotected markets. 

Cartellpartie. 

A party in the German 
Reichstag, formed in 1888, by 
a coalition of the Conservatives 
and the old National Liberals, and 
pledged to support Bismarck. 

Carthage of the North. 

Liibeck was so called when 
the head of the Hanseatic League. 

Carthusians. 

A monastic order, with very 
severe rules, founded by St. 
Bruno, during the papacy of 
Urban II in 1086, The order 
was recognized by Alexander III 
in 1 176. Their most famous 
convent is that of La Grande 
Chartreuse, near Grenoble. 
The Charterhouse, in London, 
was formerly one of their mon- 
asteries. 

Carucage. 

A tax imposed by the early 
English Kings on every caru- 
cate or hundred acres of land. 
It was first levied by Richard I 
in 1 198, when the tax amounted 
to five shillings on the carucate. 

Cas Royaux. 

All cases in which the sover- 
eign and his interests were con- 
cerned were so called in France. 
By the " Etablissements " of 
Louis IX, all such cases were 
withdrawn from the jurisdiction 
of feudal courts, and could be 
decided only by the Royal 
Bailiffs, or by the Parlement. 

Casenbrotspel. 
See Bread and Cheese War. 



Casket Letters. 

A series of letters and sonnets, 
purporting to be written by 
Mary Queen of Scots to Both- 
well, and left behind by him when 
he fled from Edinburgh in 1567. 
If genuine, these letters un- 
doubtedly prove Mary to have 
been privy to the murder of 
Darnley. 

Cassini Convention. 

A secret treaty between 
Russia and China, supposed to 
have been signed in 1896, by 
which Russia secured certain 
definite rights over Manchuria. 
She has since made several 
attempts to replace this agree- 
ment by a public treaty, but 
has been prevented by the 
opposition of the Powers. 
Russia's present position in 
Manchuria, therefore, is correct 
so far as China is concerned, 
but has not been acknowledged 
by the other Powers. 

Castle Council. 

A council established in Dub- 
lin by Lord Wentworth in 
1633. 

Catamaran Expedition. 

An unsuccessful attempt on 
the part of the British to burn 
Napoleon's flotilla in Boulogne 
harbour in 1804. 

Cateau Cambresis, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Henry II 
of France and the Emperor, 
Charles V. Both parties agreed 
to return the conquests made 
by them during the war of the 
previous eight years, and bound 
themselves to maintain the 
Catholic faith throughout their 
dominions. 

Categories de La Bourdonnaye. 
A list of Imperialists whose 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 49 



proscription he advocated, 
drawn up by La Bourdonnaye, 
in 18 1 5. They were divided 
into three categories. 

Catherine, Conspiracy of. 

A conspiracy entered into by 
Catherine II of Russia, with the 
Orloffs and Princess DashkofE, 
to remove her husband, Peter 
III, and ascend the throne as his 
successor. She succeeded in 
getting herself recognized by 
the nobles as Catherine II, and 
in 1762 the conspirators, headed 
by one of the Orloffs, strangled 
Peter III at a house near Peter- 
hof. 
Catholic Association. 

An association formed by 
Daniel O'Connell in 1823, to 
press the claims of the Irish 
Catholics upon Parliament. It 
held entirely aloof from all the 
secret societies, and endeavoured 
to keep strictly with the Hmits 
of the law, but in 1825 it had 
become so powerful that an Act 
was passed declaring it an 
illegal association. 

Catholic Emancipation Act. 

An Act passed in 1829, substi- 
tuting for the old formula, 
which included abjuration, a 
new form of oath, and thus 
enabling Catholics to sit in 
either House. It opened to 
them all offices under the state, 
except those of Regent, Lord 
Chancellor, Viceroy of Ireland, 
and Royal Commissioner of the 
General Assembly of Scotland. 
The Roman Catholic Church 
was to remain a dissenting 
church, and restrictions were 
placed on the immigration of 
members of the monastic orders, 
and especially of Jesuits, while 
the use of ecclesiastical titles 
was forbidden. 



Catholic League (France). 
See League. 

Catholic League (Germany.) 

A league of the Catholic 
Princes of Germany, formed at 
Frankfort in 165 1, to carry out 
the provisions of the Peace of 
Westphalia. 

Catholic Relief Act. 

An Act passed in 1793, ad- 
mitting Catholics to the magis- 
tracy, grand juries, and the 
franchise. 

Catholic Rent. 

An unauthorized tax or cess 
levied upon Irish Catholics by 
O'Connell's Catholic Association 
in 1823, and afterwards. The 
funds thus obtained w-ere placed 
in O'Connell's hands, to be used 
at his absolute discretion for 
furthering the objects of the 
Association. 

Cato Street Conspiracy. 

A plot to murder the Minis- 
ters, during Lord Liverpool's 
administration in 1820, at a 
dinner which they were to attend 
at Lord Harrowby's house. The 
plot was discovered by a police 
agent named Edwards, who 
posed as one of the conspirators, 
and Thistlewood, the ringleader, 
and four others were executed. 

Caucus. 

A private meeting of mem- 
bers of a political party to 
decide upon the adoption of 
candidates, or the platform of 
the party. The name is of 
American origin. 

Cautionary Towns. 

The Dutch towns of Flushing, 
Walcheren, Rammerkins and 
Briel, which were handed over 
to Elizabeth in 1585, to be held 
as security for the payment of 



50 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



the English troops in the Nether- 
lands. They were restored to 
Holland by James I. 

Cavalier Parliament. 

See Pensioned Parliament. 

Cavaliers. 

The supporters of Charles I 
against the Parliament. The 
name was first applied to them 
in the course of the frequent 
disturbances which arose in 
London between the King's 
party and the City party, the 
" Roundheads," in 1641. 

Cave. 

See Adullamites. 

Cawnpore, Massacre of. 

The massacre by Nana Sahib 
of the English Garrison in Cawn- 
pore, during the Indian Mutiny 
of 1857. The garrison had 
surrendered under a pledge of 
being permitted to retire un- 
harmed. Of those massacred, 
560 were women and children. 

Cecil's Fast. 

The name given to an Act 
passed by Cecil, Lord Burleigh, 
after the Reformation, enjoining 
the eating of fish on certain 
days. Fish had almost ceased 
to be an article of diet in Eng- 
land, as it was looked upon as 
a badge of Romanism. 

Cent Jours. 

See Hundred Days. 

Centralists. 

A party in Mexico, who sup- 
port the centralized republican 
government, and are opposed 
to undue extension of the 
autonomy of the various states. 
The party came into existence 
about 1823. 

Centralists. 

A party in Switzerland in 



1800, who supported the Hel- 
vetic Constitution, which estab- 
lished a uniform republican 
government, and abolished the 
old cantonal liberties. 

Centennial State. 

Colorado is so called, as 
having been admitted a State 
in 1876, the year of the cen- 
tenary of the Union. 

Centro-Americana, Confedera- 
cion. 
A league of Nicaragua, Hon- 
duras, and Salvador, formed in 
1842, with the object of uniting 
the Central American States into 
a federal republic. Guatemala 
opposed the scheme and it fell 
to the ground. 

Centrumsfraction. 

The Centre, or Clerical, party 
in the first German Reichstag 
in 1 87 1, under the leadership 
of Dr. Windhorst. They were 
strong supporters of the Papal 
claims in the subsequent Kultur- 
kampf. 

Centum Gravamina. 

The list of grievances and 
charges against the Roman 
Catholic clergy, drawn up by 
the Diet of Nuremburg in 1523. 

Ceorl. 

In Saxon times, a freeman 
owning his own land, and inde- 
pendent of any overlord. 

Chambre Ardente. 

A court, specially composed 
of bigoted Catholics, estab- 
lished by Henri II in 1551, 
for the trial of heretics. 

Chambre Introuvable. 

The French Assembly elected 
in 1 81 5, and dissolved in the 
following year, was so named 
by Louis XVIII. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 51 



Champ de Mars. 

The annual meetings of the 
Franks for military purposes 
during the early times were held 
during the month of March, 
At a later period the month of 
meeting appears to have been 
altered to May, when the as- 
sembly was called a Champ de 
Mai. The great parade-ground in 
Paris is known as the Champ 
de Mars. 

Chaperons Blancs. 

The White Capes, the popular 
party in Ghent in 1379, under 
the leadership of Jan Yoens. 

Chapter of Mitton. 

The name given by the Scots 
to the defeat of the Archbishop 
of York's forces at Mitton, in 
1 3 19, by a Scottish invading 
army. It was so called on 
account of the number of ecclesi- 
astics in the Archbishop's army. 

Charte La. 

The charter issued by Louis 
XVIII on ascending the French 
throne in 18 14. He proclaimed 
the equality of all Frenchmen 
before the law, liberty of 
opinion and liberty of the press, 
and confirmed the inviolability 
of all property sold by the state. 
He established an hereditary 
peerage, and fixed, as the 
qualification for electors to the 
Chamber of Deputies, the pay- 
ment of direct taxes amount- 
ing to 300 francs per annum. 

Charter of 1826. 

A constitution promulgated 
by Pedro IV of Portugal, on 
the model of the English Parlia- 
mentary system. 

Charters. 

See Acte Additionel, Aragon, 
Confirmatio, First, Forests, 



Fuero, Groote Privilegie, Irish, 
Joyeuse Entree, Justice, Mary- 
land, Magna, Massachusetts, 
People's, Pfaffenbrief, Priests', 
Virginia. 

Chartism. 

An agitation which broke out 
in 1837 and culminated in the 
Chartist riots of 1839. It was 
probably due to the declaration 
by the Liberal party that they 
were satisfied with the results 
of the Reform Bill of 1832, and 
did not intend to press for fur- 
ther reform in this direction. 
The movement takes its name 
from the " People's Charter," 
a manifesto setting forth the 
aims of the agitators. This 
Charter demanded manhood 
sufl'rage, annual Parliaments, 
the ballot, abolition of the 
property qualification for a 
member of Parliament, pay- 
ment of members, and equal 
electoral districts. The most 
prominent Chartists were 
Feargus O'Connor, Frost, and 
Williams. 

Chartres, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1299, by 
Edward I of England and 
Philip IV of France, after 
Edward's abortive Flemish 
expedition. England recovered 
Guienne, and undertook to give 
up the Flemish alliance, while 
France renounced the alliance 
with Scotland. 

Chastisement of Novgorod. 

The massacre, by Ivan the 
Terrible, of over i , 500 prominent 
citizens of Novgorod, owing to 
his suspecting the aristocracy of 
the city of a design to open the 
gates to the Poles. 

Chateaubriand, Edict of. 

An edict issued by Henri III, 



52 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



enacting severe measures against 
heresy. Among its provisions 
was one forbidding all argument 
on religious matters, and 
another confiscating the pro- 
perty of any person who went 
to Geneva. This edict also 
established the Chambre Ar- 
dente. 

Chatillon, Congress of. 

A congress opened at Cha- 
tillon on February 5, 18 14, to 
treat with Napoleon as sovereign 
of France. The allies, however, 
found his demands impossible, 
and before the Congress was 
dissolved, the Treaty of Chau- 
mont had been signed, by which 
Napoleon lost all chance of 
obtaining the terms that the 
allies were at first prepared to 
grant. 

Chauffeurs. 

Bands of brigands, who in 
1793 infested the northern and 
afterwards the central depart- 
ments of France. They took 
their name from their habit of 
roasting the feet of their victims, 
to force them to disclose the 
whereabouts of their valuables. 

Chaumont, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed by England, 
Austria, Russia and Prussia, in 
March, 18 14, after the allies had 
entered France. The signa- 
tories bound themselves for 
twenty years to unite in resisting 
the designs of France. Each 
of the contracting parties was 
to provide 150,000 men, and 
England in addition a subsidy 
of ;^ 5, 000,000. It was the know- 
ledge of the signature of this 
treaty which induced Joseph, 
in Napoleon's absence, to order 
the Marshals to capitulate, and 
the army to leave Paris, thus 



entailing the abdication of the 
Emperor. 

Chauvinism. 

Originally an unreasoning 
admiration for Napoleon, the 
name being taken from Chauvin, 
a character in Scribe's " Le 
Soldat Laboureur." At the 
present time, the word has lost 
its dynastic significance, and is 
used to express a perfervid 
patriotism, somewhat corres- 
ponding to the English Jingo- 
ism. 

Chefoo Convention. 

A convention between Great 
Britain and China, negotiated 
by Sir Thomas Wade in 1876, 
by which China recognized the 
right of foreigners to travel in 
the interior, and to be duly pro- 
tected while so doing. 

Chester, County Palatine of. 

A County Palatine, estab 
lished by William the Con- 
queror, who bestowed it on his 
nephew, Hugh Lupus. The 
earldom was seized by Henry 
III in 1237, and has since been 
an appanage of the crown. 

Chevalier Sans Feur et sans 
Reproche. 
Pierre du Terrail, Seigneur de 
Bayard (1476-1524), is called 
by his biographer " the fearless 
and stainless knight." 

Chevaliers du Poignard. 

A band of royalists, who, 
armed with daggers and hunting 
knives, assembled at the Tui- 
leries on February 28, 1791. 
They were dispersed and dis- 
armed by Lafayette, and being 
charged with a conspiracy to 
carry off the king, maintained 
that they were assembled only 
for ,his protection. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 53 



Chiltern Hundreds. 

The Hundreds of Bodenham, 
Desborough, and Stoke, in 
Buckinghamshire, the steward- 
ship of which is a sinecure, in 
the gift of the crown, originally- 
established to keep down the 
bands of robbers which infested 
the Chiltern Hills. It is now- 
used as a means of enabling a 
member of Parliament to vacate 
his seat, as by accepting the 
office he becomes disqualified 
for a seat in Parliament, unless 
re-elected. 

Chimney Money. 
See Hearth Money. 

Chinandega, Pacto de. 

A name given to the Con- 
federacion Centro-Americana, 
which was formed at Chinandega 
in 1842, with the object of 
uniting the Central American 
States. 

Chinese Gordon. 

The sobriquet of General 
Charles Gordon, the conqueror 
of the Taepings. 

Chonin. 

In old Japan the wardsmen 
or trading class, the lowest in 
rank of the four Japanese classes. 

Chouans. 

The royalist party in La 
Vendee and other parts of 
Brittany, who held out against 
the revolutionary armies until 
1779. Among their most cele- 
brated leaders were Laroche- 
jaquelin and Cadoudal. 

Chouiski. 

See Belski. 

Christ, Order of. 

A Portuguese order of knight- 
hood, founded circ. 1318. 



Christian Alliance. 

An offensive and defensive 
alliance entered into in 1529 by 
Austria and the Canton of 
Zurich. It was also known as 
the Treaty of Ferdinand. 

Christines. 

The Spanish party supporting 
the Regency of Queen Christina 
in 1833, in opposition to the 
Carlists. 

Chupatties. 

Small cakes of unleavened 
bread, which were sent through 
the villages of British India 
just before the outbreak of the 
Indian Mutiny in 1857. It is 
supposed that they were a 
signal to prepare for a rising, 
though other explanations have 
been given of their meaning. 

Cicero, The British. 

A sobriquet of William Pitt, 
Earl of Chatham (1708-1778). 

Cid, The. 

Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, a 
celebrated Spanish chieftain, in 
the reigns of Ferdinand I, 
Sancho II, and Alfonso VI, 
was known as the Cid Cam- 
peador, or Campaigning Chief. 
He died in 1099. 

Ci-devants. 

The name given during the 
French Revolution to those who, 
owing to the abolition of all titles 
of honour, were no longer known 
by their titles, but by their 
family names. Thus Marie 
Antoinette was brought to trial 
as the " Widow Capet." 

Cincinnatus, The American. 

A sobriquet of George Wash- 
ington. 
Cinq-Mars, Conspiracy of. 

A conspiracy directed against 
Richelieu, the leaders of which 



54 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



were Cinq-Mars, the favourite 
of Louis XIII, the Due d' Or- 
leans and De Thou. An 
arrangement was made with 
Spain, by which she was to 
support the conspirators with 
men and money. This agree- 
ment was discovered by Riche- 
lieu in 1642, and Cinq-Mars 
and De Thou were arrested 
and executed. 

Cinque Cento. 

The sixteenth century, the 
later period of the Italian 
Renaissance. 

Cinque Ports. 

These were originally Hast- 
ings, Romney, Hythe, Dover 
and Sandwich, to which were 
afterwards added Rye and Win- 
chilsea. They were incorpor- 
ated at a very early, though 
uncertain date, to provide and 
man ships for the defence of 
the Channel, and in return 
enjoyed certain privileges, 
judicial and other. Their 
earliest known charter was 
granted by Edward I, but they 
were summoned to send Barons 
to Parliament by Henry III 
in 1265, and there is no doubt 
that they were incorporated 
in some form at a considerably 
earlier period. Their privileges 
were finally abolished by the 
Municipal Corporations Act in 
1835. 

Cintra, Convention of. 

A convention signed by 
Junot and Sir Hew Dalrymple 
in 1808, after the defeat of the 
French at Vimeira. It per- 
mitted Junot to evacuate Portu- 
gal, England providing trans- 
port, with liberty to him and 
his troops to serve elsewhere. 
The convention caused great 



indignation in England, and 
led to the recall of the three 
English generals, Dalrymple, 
Burrard, and Wellesley. 

Circe of the Revolution. 

Madame Roland was so called 
from the influence exercised by 
her fascinating manner over 
the leaders of the French Revolu- 
tion, and especially over the 
Girondins. 

Circumspecte Agatis, Statute. 

A statute of Edward I, issued 
in 1205, to put a stop to the 
pretensions of the ecclesiastical 
courts, which were gradually 
encroaching more and more 
upon the functions of the civil 
courts. 

Cisalpine Republic. 

A republic formed by Napo- 
leon out of the provinces con- 
quered by him in Northern Italy 
in 1796-1797. 

Cispadane Republic. 

A republic, with Bologna for 
its capital, established by 
Napoleon in Italy in 1797. 

Civil Marriage Bill. 

A Bill introduced into the 
Hungarian Diet in 1893, by 
Dr. Wekerle. It made civil 
marriage compulsory, permitted 
marriage with a deceased wife's 
sister, and made sundry changes 
in the divorce laws in the direc- 
tion of greater freedom. It 
was violently opposed by the 
Catholics, and only passed the 
Upper House through the per- 
sonal interposition of the King 
Emperor. 

Civil Rights Act. 

An Act of Congress, passed 
in 1875, conferring equal rights 
on all citizens, black or white, 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 55 



in the matter of public convey- 
ances, inns, places of amuse- 
ment and jury service. 

Claim of Right. 

A declaration by the Scottish 
Convention of 1689, accompany- 
ing the offer of the crown to 
William III. It was similar 
in character to the Declaration 
of Rights of the English Parlia- 
ment, but in addition it pro- 
claimed the abolition of the 
Episcopacy. 

Claimant, The. 

Thomas Castro, alias Arthur 
Orton, a butcher of Wagga- 
Wagga, New South Wales, who 
in 1 87 1 brought an action with 
intent to prove that he was 
Sir Roger Tichbourne, the right- 
ful owner of the Tichbourne 
estates in Hampshire. His 
case broke down, after a long 
trial, and in 1874 he was con- 
victed of perjury and sentenced 
to fourteen years' penal servi- 
tude. 

Clair- on-Epte, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Charles the 
Simple of France, and the North- 
men under Rolf the Ganger, in 
912. In order to obtain im- 
munity from the Viking raids, 
Charles ceded to the Northmen 
the coast of Normandy. 

Clan Act. 

An Act passed in 171 5, pro- 
viding (i) that if a feudal chief 
rebelled, all his vassals who 
remained loyal should in future 
hold direct from the crown. 
(2) That a loyal tenant whose 
landlord was convicted of 
treason should have two years 
gratuitous possession added to 
his lease. (3) That the lands 
of a disloyal tenant should 
revert to his chief if loyal. 



(4) That settlements of estates 
after August i, 17 14, should 
be no bar to their forfeiture for 
high treason. 

Clan Chattan and Clan Quhele. 
A combat between thirty 
picked men of each of these 
clans was fought at Perth in 
1396. It is supposed to have 
been for the purpose of deciding 
a dispute as to the chieftain- 
ship of the Clan Clattan. 

Clan-na-Gael. 

An Irish secret society, an 
offshoot of the Fenians, formed 
in 1 88 1. It was composed of 
the extreme physical force men 
among the Fenians, and was 
also known as the United 
Brotherhood. 

Clarendon Code. 

The name given to the four 
Acts composing the repressive 
ecclesiastical legislation of 
Clarendon, in the reign of 
Charles II, namely the Corpora- 
tion, Uniformity, Conventicle, 
and Five Mile Acts. 

Clarendon, Council of. 

See Constitutions of Claren- 
don. 

Classes, Act of. 

An Act of the Scots Parlia- 
ment, passed in 1649, dis- 
qualif3dng from public office 
and seats in Parliament, all 
Mahgnants, enemies of the 
Covenant, Engagers, etc. 

Clayton-Bulwer Treaty. 

A treaty between Great 
Britain and the United States, 
signed in 1850, providing for 
the construction of a canal to 
connect the Atlantic and PacifxC 
Oceans. It was stipulated that 
in the event of such canal being 



56 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



constructed, neither party 
should erect fortifications on 
the line of the canal, nor assume 
any sovereign rights over any 
portion of Central America. 
The United States afterwards 
repudiated the treaty, and it is 
now superseded by the Hay- 
Pauncefote Treaty. 

Clean the Causeway. 

The name given to a brawl 
in the streets of Edinburgh in 
1 5 19, in which the Douglas 
faction were attacked by the 
supporters of the Government. 
The Douglasses swept their 
opponents from the streets, 
killing their leader, Sir Patrick 
Stuart. 

Cleargrits. 

The extreme democratic party 
in Canada in 1850 were so called. 
They were in favour of secession 
from England and annexation 
to the United States. 

Clemency Canning. 

A nickname given to Lord 
Canning, Governor-General of 
India, in consequence of what 
many considered his undue 
leniency in the treatment of 
the rebels, after the suppression 
of the Indian Mutiny in 1858. 

Clementine League. 
See Holy League. 

Clergy of France, Declaration 
of the. 
A manifesto issued by Bossuet 
in 1682, declaring that the Pope 
had no power in France in 
temporal affairs; and that his 
spiritual authority was subject 
to that of a General Council, as 
proclaimed by the Council of 
Constance ; that the constitu- 
tion of the Gallican Church was 
not to be subverted, and that, 



in questions of faith, the Pope's 
opinion was not binding unless 
supported by the Church. This 
declaration was, by Royal Edict, 
given the force of law. 

Clericis Laicos, Bull of. 

A Bull issued by Pope Boni- 
face VIII in 1296, forbidding 
the clergy to pay tribute to a 
temporal sovereign. The re- 
sult of this Bull in England was 
that the clergy refused to pay 
taxes. They were consequently 
outlawed, and much church 
property was confiscated by 
Edward I. 

Clermont, Council of. 

A Council summoned by 
Urban II in 1095, at which the 
Pope proclaimed the duty of 
Christians to free the Holy 
Sepulchre from the hands of the 
Saracens. At the Council 
Godefroi de Bouillon and other 
notable personages assumed the 
red cross, and the First Crusade 
followed. 

Clicquot, King. 

The nickname by which 
Frederick William IV of Prus- 
sia was known in England. 

Clontarf Meeting. 

The name given to an inci- 
dent which marked the collapse 
of O'Connell's Repeal agitation. 
A monster meeting was fixed 
to be held at Clontarf on October 
8, 1843. The Government 
proclaimed the meeting, and 
O'Connell did his best to prevent 
the peasants assembling. In 
this he was successful, but the 
proof that he did not mean 
under any circumstances to 
resort to strong measures was 
the death blow to his move- 
ment. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 57 



Clouds, Battle above the. 

The name given to the attack 
on Lookout Mountain by the 
Federal troops at the battle of 
Chattanooga in 1863, during 
the American Civil War. They 
advanced to the attack through 
a heavy mist, and the battle 
was fought in a clear atmos- 
phere, with the fog below. 

Closter Seven, Convention of. 

A convention, signed in July, 
1757, between the French and 
the Duke of Cumberland, who 
had advanced to the Weser in 
command of an English force, 
and had been driven back by a 
French army, under D'Estrees, 
to the mouth of the Elbe. The 
Duke agreed to disband his 
army. 

Club, The. 

A section of the Whig party 
in Scotland, who, at the accession 
of William and Mary, advocated 
extreme views as to the limita- 
tions to be set to the power of 
the king. Notwithstanding 
their opinions, they did not 
hesitate to ally themselves with 
the Jacobites in their opposition 
to William, 

Club Parliament. 

The Parliament of 1346, so 
called because the Barons at- 
tended it accompanied by their 
retainers armed with clubs. It 
is also called the Parliament of 
Bats (or Batons.) 

Clubmen. 

The name assumed by bands 
of peasants who, in 1644, as- 
sembled in various parts of 
England, but especially in the 
West, to protect their lands 
from the ravages of the civil 
war. They sided with neither 



party, but attacked both im- 
partially when their property 
was threatened. 

Coalition Ministry. 

A Ministry formed under 
Lord Aberdeen in 1853, com- 
posed of Liberals and Peel- 
ites, and including among its 
members. Lord John Russell, 
Lord Palmerston and Mr. Glad- 
stone. 

Cockburn's Act. 

The Betting Act, passed in 
1853, is so called after its intro- 
ducer. Sir Alexander Cockburn. 
It did away with betting houses, 
and rendered the exhibition of 
betting lists illegal. In 1874 
the Act was extended to Scot- 
land, 

Cockerton Judgment. 

A judgment in the Court of 
Queen's Bench in the case of 
Regina v. Cockerton. Mr, 
Cockerton, the auditor of the 
Local Government Board, had 
surcharged certain expenditure 
of the London School Board, 
and the correctness of his action 
being called in question, the 
court held that it was illegal to 
make a payment out of the 
rates (i) for advanced instruc- 
tion in art and science in ele- 
mentary day schools, (2) for 
any instruction to adults at 
evening continuation classes. 

Cockpit of Europe. 

The name given to Belgium 
on account of the numerous 
important battles which have 
been fought there. 

Code Napoleon. 

The Code of Law issued by 
Napoleon in 1 803 . It was based 
on the old French law, with 
such alterations as had been 



58 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



rendered necessary by the 
Revolution, and certain new 
provisions, introduced by Napo- 
leon, notably those relating to 
the law of succession and to 
the marriage law. For the 
purpose of this codification, 
which remains the law of France, 
he called to his councils the 
most eminent French lawyers, 
irrespective of party, among 
others Tronchet, Cambaceres, 
Portalis and Roederer. 

Codes. 

AUgemeines Landrecht,Brehon, 
Bretts and Scots, Burgos, Caro- 
line Ordinance, Clarendon, Con- 
solato. Doom- Book, Etablisse- 
ments, Frederic, Frostathing, 
Fuerojuzgo, Gragas, Gulathing, 
Jus Magdeburgicum, Jutland, 
Landrecht, Louis, Libro de 
Tasas, Liibeck, Ludlow, Martian, 
Mulmutine, Noir, Oleron, Recess 
of Colding, Regiam Majesta- 
tem, Savary, Siete Partidas, 
Thirty-three Articles, Wisbuy, 
Wisliza. 

Codini. 

The Pigtail Party, a name 
given by the supporters of the 
House of Savoy to the Papal 
party in Rome, the suggestion 
being that they are behind the 
times. 

Coercion Act. 

, An Act of Parliament passed 
in 1833, giving the Lord Lieu- 
tenant of Ireland power to pro- 
hibit an}^ meeting of whatever 
nature which he regarded as 
dangerous to the peace, and to 
declare any district to be in a 
disturbed state. The bill gave 
the right to search for arms and 
suspended the Habeas Corpus 
Act in the proclaimed districts, 
substituting martial law for 
the regular tribunals. 



Coeur de Lion. 

The sobriquet of Richard I of 
England. 

Cognac, League of. 

See Holy League. 

Collectivism. 

A form of socialism, the lead- 
ing tenet of which is that capital 
and the means of production 
should be in the hands of 
associations of workers, and 
not be privately owned. 

College of Justice. 

The supreme court of Scot- 
land in civil cases. It was 
established by James V in 1533, 
and was composed of fourteen 
judges and a president. At the 
same time the body of Advo- 
cates was created. 

Colonial Conference. 

A conference held in London 
in 1902, between Mr. Chamber- 
lain and the Colonial Premiers, 
The principal recommendations 
of the conference were an 
increase in the Colonial con- 
tribution to the navy, increased 
facilities for Colonial cadets to 
enter the services, that prefer- 
ential duties between Great 
Britain and the Colonies should 
be kept in view, that the metric 
system should be adopted, and 
that postage rates should be 
lowered. 

Colonies, Council for the. 

A Council appointed by 
Charles II in 1660, to supervise 
all the affairs of the oversea 
plantations, 

Coloquy of Poissy. 

A conference of divines sum- 
moned by Catherine de' Medici 
in 1 561, and attended, among 
others, by Peter Martyr and 
Beza. It was hoped that a 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 59 



modus Vivendi with the Hugue- 
nots might be arrived at, but 
the divergences between the 
two rehgions were perhaps un- 
duly emphasized by the re- 
formers, and the conference 
proved abortive, though in the 
following year an edict was 
issued permitting the Hugue- 
nots to worship outside the 
towns. 

Colorados. 

See Blanquillos. 

Coloured League. 

A confederation of the col- 
oured people of the Southern 
States of America, formed 
after the war, with the object 
of securing for the negroes the 
free exercise of their political 
rights. 

Comite de Salut Public. 

The Committee of Public 
Safety was appointed by the 
French Convention in April, 
1893. to exercise the functions 
of a Ministry. The first object 
was to drive the Girondists 
from power. The members of 
the first Comite were compara- 
tively moderate men, but it 
was reorganized in July of the 
same year, from which time it 
was composed almost entirely 
of the extremists, and became 
a mere instrument in the hands 
of Robespierre. 

Comitia Paludata. 

The Diet which met in Poland 
during an interregnum only. 
The whole body of nobles 
attended, the meeting taking 
place on an open plain, and the 
members appearing armed and 
mounted. 

Comitia Togata. 

The ordinary Polish Diet of 



representatives of the nobles • 
It was summoned by the king, 
and the members attended un- 
armed. 

Commando. 

The military system estab- 
lished by the English in South 
Africa in 1806. The country 
was split up into districts, each 
under a field cornet, whose 
duty it was to summon the 
burghers when called out for 
military service. The burghers 
were divided into three classes, 
according to age, and every 
male was liable to service from 
sixteen to sixty. The system 
was maintained by the indepen- 
dent Dutch States, till the close 
of the Boer War in 1902, but 
compulsory service was abolished 
in Cape Colony in 1834. 

Commendation. 

In feudal times the personal 
submission of a man to a feudal 
lord, by which he became his 
vassal, was so called. 

Commercial Treaty of 1786. 

A treaty between France and 
England, abolishing prohibitive 
duties and establishing a moder- 
ate tariff between the two 
countries. The Methuen Treaty 
between England and Portugal, 
which had been very prejudicial 
to French interests, was abro- 
gated. 

Commission of Government. 

A Commission of Peers, author- 
ized by Richard II in 1386, to 
inquire into abuses in the Gov- 
ernment, and to prepare a scheme 
of reform. 

Commission of Grace. 

A proclamation under the 
Great Seal by James I in 1604, 
securing Irish landowners from 



6o DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



all claims of the Crown, and 
empowering the governor, in 
all cases of precarious tenure, 
to grant indefeasible titles. 

Commissions of Array. 

Commissions given by the 
English Kings to certain com- 
missioners to impress men for 
military service. They were 
first issued under Edward I. 

Committee of Religion. 

A committee appointed by 
the Long Parliament in 1641 to 
consider the question of religi- 
ous reform. 

Commune, Paris. 

An outbreak of the extreme 
revolutionary party in Paris in 
1 87 1, after the withdrawal of 
the Germans. Its leaders were 
Assi, Billioray, Blanqui, Cluseret, 
Paschal Grousset, Felix Pyat, 
and other noted extremists. 
They obtained complete pos- 
session of Paris, and were guilty 
of terrible atrocities, including 
the cold-blooded murder of the 
so-called hostages, amongst 
whom was the Archbishop of 
Paris. The city underwent a 
second siege at the hands of the 
Provisional Government, but 
after severe fighting the Govern- 
ment troops, under the Marquis 
de Gallifet, surmounted the last 
barricade, and those of the 
Communist leaders who failed 
to escape were brought to trial, 
and executed or transported. 
Many of the public buildings, 
including the Tuileries, were set 
fire to during the fighting by the 
" Petroleuses." 

Communeros, Revolt of the. 
See Santa Junta. 

Compactata of Prague. 

An agreement between the 



Hussites and their religious 
opponents in 1433. This agree- 
ment afterwards formed the 
basis of the Treaty of Iglau. 

Compagnies d'Ordonnance. 

The first French regular army, 
called into existence by Charles 
V in 1370. 

Complaints of the Commons of 
Kent. 

A document submitted to the 
Government in 1450 by the in- 
surgents under Jack Cade. It 
set forth the causes of the un- 
popularity of Suffolk, and de- 
manded the restoration to favour 
of the Duke of York. 

Composition of Connaught. 

An arrangement between Sir 
James Perrot, Governor of Ire- 
land, and the landowners of 
Connaught in 1585, by which 
the landowners agreed to pay 
a fixed ground rent, in considera- 
tion of a patent from the Crown, 
and relief from all other taxes 
and imposts. At the same time 
all members of the clans were 
released from their allegiance 
to their chiefs, and placed di- 
rectly under the Crown. 

Compound Householder. 

The occupier of a small tene- 
ment who did not pay poor 
rates directly, but compounded 
with his landlord, who was re- 
sponsible for the rate to the 
authorities. During the debates 
on the Reform Bill of 1867, the 
question of his enfranchisement 
was very hotly contested, and 
in the end the compound house- 
holder was abolished, and every 
name put on the rate book. 

Compounders. 

The name given to the more 
moderate section of the English 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



6i 



Jacobites in 1692. They de- 
sired a restoration of the Stuarts, 
but accompanied by a general 
amnesty. The non-compound- 
ers, who would listen to no sug- 
gestions of moderation, were, 
however, more powerful at St. 
Germains. 

Compromise, The. 

A document signed in 1566 
by some 2,000 nobles and gentle- 
men of the Netherlands, by 
which the signatories bound 
themselves to offer the most 
strenuous resistance to the In- 
quisition, while loyally sup- 
porting the sovereignty of Philip 
"II. 

Compromise Act. 

An Omnibus Act passed by 
Congress in 1850. It provided 
for the admission to the Union 
of California as a state, and of 
New Mexico and Utah as 
territories, for the settlement of 
the boundaries of Texas, the 
return of fugitive slaves to the 
owners, and the suppression of 
the slave trade in the district 
of Columbia, 

Compte Rendu. 

A manifesto by the Moderate 
party in the French Chamber, 
drawn up by Odilon Barrot in 
May, 1832. It denounced the 
Ministry for continuing the Res- 
toration rather than the Revolu- 
tion, and complained of the in- 
stitution of hereditary peerages, 
the excessive civil list, and the 
extravagant expenditure on the 
army. With regard to foreign 
policy it pointed out that, 
through lack of firmness, the 
Government was abandoning 
Italy to Austria and Poland 
to Russia. 



Compurgation. 

The acquittal of an accused 
person, in consequence of an 
oath taken by his kinsmen to the 
effect that he was innocent of 
the charges brought against 
him. This was abolished by 
the Assize of Clarendon in 
1 166. 

Concentration Camps. 

Camps formed in the Trans- 
vaal and Orange River Colony, 
during the Boer War, for the re- 
ception of women and children 
who could not be protected 
in their ov/n homes in the dis- 
turbed parts of the two colonies. 
Charges were made of gross mis- 
management of these camps, but 
a commission appointed to in- 
vestigate pronounced that the 
complaints were absurd, and 
that everything had been done 
for the refugees that the cir- 
cumstances permitted. 

Conclave. 

An assembly of the Cardinals 
summoned for the purpose of 
electing a Pope. The regu- 
lations governing the Conclave 
were issued by Gregory X in 
1275. 

Conclusions. 

An argument drawn up by 
the Puritans of Salem, Mas- 
sachusetts, in 1629, and circu- 
lated among the Puritans of 
England, setting forth the de- 
sirability of strengthening the 
Colony of Salem. 

Concordat. 

An agreement entered into in 
1801 between Napoleon and the 
Pope, providing for the re- 
establishment of Roman Ca- 
tholicism, which had been pro- 
scribed during the Revolution, 



62 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



as the religion of the majority of 
the French nation. It was 
agreed, among other pro- 
visions, that bishops were to be 
nominated by the State, but 
instituted by the Pope. The 
nomination of parish priests 
was vested in the bishops, the 
State having a right of veto. 
The State undertook to see that 
adequate stipends were pro- 
vided for the clergy, to replace 
the ancient revenues which had 
been confiscated during the 
Revolution. 

Concordat of 1516. 

An agreement between Francis 
I of France and Leo X, by which 
the King obtained the right 
of nominating archbishops, bi- 
shops and mitred abbots, the 
inferior clergy being appointed 
by the bishops as before. In 
return for this, Francis granted 
the Pope annates and the right 
to levy a yearly tribute. 

Concordat of 1855. 

An agreement between Francis 
Joseph of Austria and Pius IX, 
by which the control of public 
education was entrusted to the 
priesthood, and all offences 
against canon law were sent for 
trial before ecclesiastical courts. 
This concordat was abrogated 
in 1870. 

Concordats. 

See Aschaffenburg, Bee, 
German, Worms. 

Condottieri. 

Soldiers of fortune who hired 
themselves out to the various 
petty states of Italy, during the 
wars of the fifteenth and six- 
teenth centuries. 

Confederate Catholics. 

A federation of Irish Catholics 



formed in 1642, at the com- 
mencement of the Great Re- 
bellion. They formed a pro- 
visional government, consisting 
of a general assembly, with two 
houses, and appointed a judicial 
body for each county under 
their control, with an appeal to 
a supreme council of twenty- 
four persons. 

Confederate States. 

The independent republic 
formed, under the presidency 
of Jefferson Davis, by the states 
which seceded from the Union 
prior to the American Civil 
War of i860. 

Confederation of 1573. 

An enactment of the Polish 
Diet, granting to all sects liberty 
of conscience and equal rights 
and privileges. This is the first 
instance of the establishment 
of complete religious toleration. 

Confederation, Treaty of. 

An agreement entered into 
in 1643, by Connecticut, Mas- 
sachusetts, and New Haven, 
and later joined by Plymouth, 
uniting the four communities 
under the title of the United 
Colonies of New England. 

Confines, Audiencia de los. 

During the Spanish domina- 
tion, the Supreme Court of Cen- 
tral America. It was established 
in 1542. 

Confirmatio Cartarum. 

The confirmation by Edward 
I in 1297 of Magna Charta and 
the Charter of Forests, to which 
was added an article known 
as " De Tallagio non Conceden- 
do," sometimes referred to as a 
separate statute, and denying 
the right of the king to levy 
Tallages without the consent 
of Parliament. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 63 



Conflans, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Louis XI 
and his nobles,signed in i465,put- 
ting an end to the Guerre du 
Bien Public. Louis ceded the 
Duchy of Normandy to his 
brother, the Due de Berri, to be 
held as a fief of France, and made 
certain concessions to the Due 
de Bretagne, the Comte de 
Charolais, and others. 

Conge d'Elire. 

The invitation sent by the 
Crown to a cathedral chapter 
to elect a certain person as 
bishop of the diocese. 

Congo Conference. 

A conference of the Powers 
held at Berlin in 1884-5. It 
declared for freedom of com- 
merce in the basin and mouths 
of the Congo, and along the 
coast from Gaboon to Angola, 
and appointed an international 
commission to regulate the 
navigation of the Congo and the 
Niger. It recognised the neu- 
trality of the Congo Free State, 
decreed the abolition of slave 
gangs and slave markets, and 
all monopolies, and insisted 
that foreigners should enjoy 
equal rights with the subjects of 
the sovereign state. 

Congregation, Lords of the. 

The leaders of the reforming 
party in Scotland, who issued 
the First Covenant in 1557, took 
this title. 

Congress. 

The Parliament of the United 
States, consisting of two Cham- 
bers, a House of Representa- 
tives, and a Senate. The for- 
mer consists of a certain number 
of members from each state, 
elected by direct popular vote. 
The number of representatives 



of each state is in proportion to 
the population, as shown in the 
decennial census. The Senate 
is composed of two members 
from each state, irrespective of 
population, elected by the re- 
spective state legislatures. One 
third of the Senate retires 
annually. 

Congresses. 

See Aix-la-Chapelle, Arras, 
Berlin, Brussels, Carlsbad, Chat- 
illon, Congo, General, Hague, 
Heilbronn, Kilkenny, Laibach, 
Troppau, Vienna, Verona. 

Conservative. 

This name came into use to 
designate the Tory party about 
1837. It was first employed 
by John Wilson Croker, in an 
article in the Quarterly Review. 

Consistoriali. 

A secret society, "established 
in Naples,with the Papal authori- 
zation, during the first decade 
of the nineteenth century, to 
oppose the Carbonari and sup- 
port the Church. 

Consistorium. 

A tribunal established in 
Geneva by Calvin in 1541, to 
deal with offences against re- 
ligion and morals. Its rule 
was terribly severe, all amuse- 
ments being proscribed and all 
criticism of the Calvinist doc- 
trine being sternly repressed. 
In five years the Consistorium 
imprisoned over 800 persons, and 
put to death fifty-eight. 

Consistory. 

An assembly of the Cardinals, 
in the presence of the Pope; 
summoned for the transaction 
of business. 

Consolato del Mare. 

A code of maritime law, 



64 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



said to have been compiled, 
from Roman and Rhodian laws, 
by the trading communities of 
Barcelona about the middle of 
the thirteenth century. Other 
authorities attribute it to the 
Venetians or the Pisans. 

Conspiracies, Plots, etc. 

See Alexander, Amboise, An- 
karstrom, Army, Assassination, 
Atterbury, Babington, Biron, 
Booth, Bridal of Norwich, Burr, 
Bye, Catherine, Cato Street, 
Cinq Mars, Craigmillar. Des- 
pard, Dutch, Emmett, Falieri, 
Fieschi, Gowrie, Gunpowder, 
Hunting of Braemar, Incident, 
Jerviswood, Malet, Meal Tub, 
Orsini, Overton, Pahlen, Pazzi, 
Pichegru, Popish, Porcari, 
Strelitzi, Ridolfi, Rye House, 
Queensberry, Throgmorton, Tie- 
poli, Venner, Vowel, Waller. 

Constance, Council of. 

A council summoned by John 
XXIII, at the instance of the 
Emperor Sigismund in 1415- 
It was concerned with the Hus- 
site heresy, and John Huss, who 
attended under a safe-conduct, 
was declared a heretic and, 
notwithstanding the safe-con- 
duct, burnt at the stake. The 
council further dealt with the 
schism, deposing two popes, and 
electing Martin V. 

Constance, Peace of. 

A treaty, signed at Constance 
in 1 183, between Frederick 
Barbarossa and the Italian 
cities, after the successful revolt 
of the Lombard League. It 
provided for the re-establish- 
ment of self-government in the 
cities, including the right of 
electing their magistrates, sub- 
ject to certain unimportant 



reservations of the Imperial 
prerogative. 

Constantinople, Conference of. 

A conference of the Great 
Powers, summoned in 1876, with 
the object of preventing war 
between Russia and Turkey. 
The terms agreed upon by the 
Powers were, however, rejected 
by the Porte, and war followed. 

Constantinople, Council of. 

A council of the Church, held 
at Constantinople in 754, under 
the auspices of Leo the Icono- 
clast. It proscribed the use of 
images and religious pictures 
in worship. The decrees of this 
council were anathematised by 
the Synod of Rome in 769, and 
reversed by the Council of Ni- 
caea in 787. It is not regarded 
by the Church as an Oecumeni- 
cal Council. 

Constantinople, Fourth Council 
of. 

An Oecumenical Council, held 
in 869, which declared that no 
Metropolitan could enter upon 
his functions until he had re- 
ceived the pallium from the 
Pope. This decision practically 
placed the nomination of the 
higher church dignitaries in the 
Pope's hands. 

Constitution of 18 12. 

The Constitution drawn up 
by the Spanish Cortes which met 
at Cadiz in 18 10. Ferdinand 
VIl, on his restoration in 18 14, 
refused to subscribe to the in- 
strument, and continued to 
govern the country on absolute 
principles, but a military pro- 
nuncianiiento forced him finally 
to give way and agree to its 
conditions in 1820. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 65 



Constitutions. 

See Body of Liberties, Cana- 
da, Eadgar, Estatuto Real, 
Federal Pact, May, Mediation, 
Model, Nine Articles, Walde- 



Constitutions of Clarendon. 

A recital of the ancient cus- 
toms of England, defining the 
relations between the Church 
and the Crown, drawn up by 
order of Henry II, and accepted, 
after much opposition, by 
Thomas a Becket on behalf of 
the Church. It made the 
criminous clerk subject to the 
civil jurisdiction, provided that 
questions relating to land 
claimed by the Crown should 
be submitted to a jury, con- 
stituted the King the final court 
of appeal, and limited the power 
of the bishops. By these and 
other provisions, the supremacy 
of the Crown was assured. The 
constitutions were promulgated 
at the Council of Clarendon in 
1 164. 

Consulta. 

The committee of three mem- 
bers of the Council of State of 
the Netherlands, during the 
regency of Margaret of Parma, 
1559 to 1567. The three were 
Viglius, Barlaymont, and the 
Bishop of Arras. 

Continental Blockade. 

A system established by Napo- 
leon, in 1806, by the Berlin 
Decree. In this instrument he 
declared the whole of the British 
Isles to be in a state of blockade, 
and forbade any correspondence 
with them on the part of the 
countries dependent on him. 
He further declared all English- 
men found in any country oc- 
cupied by French troops to be 



prisoners of war, and ordered 
all English merchandise and all 
private property of English 
subjects wherever found to be 
confiscated. So impracticable 
was it to carry out this system 
that, within the year. Napoleon 
found it necessary to purchase 
English cloth to clothe his own 
troops. 

Contra- Remonstrants. 

The Gomarists, the opponents 
of the Arminians in the Nether- 
lands, were so called from their 
having presented to the States- 
General a counter-remonstrance, 
protesting against the five arti- 
cles set out in the remonstrance 
of the Arminians in 16 10. 

Contracting Out. 

The chief point at issue in the 
Employers' Liability Bill of 1893. 
The difference of opinion be- 
tween the two Houses on this 
point wrecked the bill. See 
Employers' Liability. 

Conventicle Act. 

An Act passed in 1664, render- 
ing illegal any meeting for re- 
ligious purposes which was at- 
tended by more than five 
persons beyond the family, 
unless held in accordance with 
Church of England practice. 

Conventicles. 

Open air meetings for public 
worship held by the dispossessed 
Scotch ministers, after the es- 
tablishment of the Episcopal 
Church in Scotland at the 
Restoration. They were de- 
clared illegal, were then per- 
mitted b^T- Indulgence, and 
finally again made illegal, and 
suppressed whenever possible. 

Convention Parliament. 

Two Parliaments are known 

F 



66 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



by this title, being irregular 
assemblies, as not having been 
summoned by Royal Writ — ( i ) 
The Parliament which restored 
the Crown to Charles II in 1660. 
(2) The Parliament which of- 
fered the throne to William and 
Mary in 1689. 

Conventions Bill. 

An Act passed by the Irish 
Parliament in 1793. It forbade 
the holding of meetings for the 
purpose of petitioning the King 
or Parliament, and also the 
election of delegates to attend 
such meetings. 

Convicts Prevention Act. 

An Act passed by the Vic- 
torian Legislature in 1852, for- 
bidding the immigration into the 
colony of any but free men, thus 
shutting out ticket-of-leave men 
from the penal settlements. 
The Queen at first refused her 
assent, but the bill was passed 
a second time and became law. 

Conway's Cabal. 

See Cabal, American. 

Co-operation. 

The first Co-operative Society 
was started in 1844 by twenty- 
eight Rochdale weavers. They 
began their operations with a 
capital of £28 only, and in 
sixteen years the Society was 
worth over ;^ 120,000. 

Copperheads. 

A name given by the Federals, 
during the American Civil War, 
to the Peace Party in the 
Northern States. The copper- 
head is a peculiarly venomous 
snake, as deadly as the rattle- 
snake and more dangerous, 
because not provided with the 
warning rattle. 



Coppernose. 

A nickname of Henry VIII. 
derived from the silver coinage 
of his reign, which was made of 
an alloy containing a quantity 
of copper. 

Copyhold. 

A tenure by service, as op- 
posed to freehold or leasehold. 
In most cases the service has 
long since been commuted for a 
small annual payment. In the 
event of a copyholder dying in- 
testate and without issue, the 
copyhold reverts to the Lord of 
the Manor. 

Cordeliers. 

A revolutionary club in Paris, 
in the early days of the French 
Revolution, composed mainly 
of the partisans of Danton. 
It took its name from an old 
monastery of the Cordelier 
order, where its meetings were 
held. 

Corn Law of 1804. 

An Act establishing a prohibi- 
tive duty on foreign corn while 
the price of English wheat stood 
at 63s. per quarter or under, 
and fixing the duty at 3s. 6d. per 
quarter with the price between 
63s. and 66s., and at 6d. per 
quarter with the price above 
66s. 

Corn Law of 1815. 

An Act prohibiting the im- 
portation of foreign corn, until 
the price of English wheat stood 
at 80s. per quarter. 

Corn Law of 1824. 

An Act reaffirming the prin- 
ciple of the sliding scale of 
duties on imported grain, as in 
the Corn Law of 1 804. 

Corn Laws, Repeal of the. 
An Act passed by Sir Robert 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 67 



Peel's Government in 1846, re- 
ducing immediately the tax on 
foreign grain, and providing for 
its ultimate abolition, with the 
exception of a registration duty- 
amounting to IS. per quarter. 
This Act was mainly the result 
of the efforts of the Anti-Corn 
Law League. 

Cornwall, Duchy of. 

Cornwall was created a Duchy 
by Edward III, and its revenues 
were assigned to the main- 
tenance of his eldest son, the 
Prince of Wales. Since that 
period the eldest son of the 
Sovereign has borne the title 
of Duke of Cornwall, and en- 
joyed the revenues of the Duchy. 
Alterations in the internal ad- 
ministration were made by Acts 
passed in 1863 and 1893. 

Coronation Stone. 

The ancient Scottish Coro- 
nation Stone of Scone was 
brought to England by Edward 
I, after his defeat of Balliol 
at Dunbar in 1296, and is now 
in Westminster Abbey. 

Corporal John. 

The great Duke of Marl- 
borough was so called by his 
soldiers. 

Corporation Act. 

An Act passed in 1661, com- 
pelHng all holders of office in 
corporations to swear to their 
belief in the doctrine of Passive 
Obedience, to receive the sacra- 
ment according to the rites of 
the English Church, and to re- 
nounce the Covenant. This Act 
was not repealed until 1828, 

Corsican Ogre. 

A nickname of the great 
Napoleon. 



Cortes. 

The Spanish Parliament is 
so called. 

Corti Compromise. 

A compromise proposed by 
Count Corti, Itahan Ambassador 
to the Porte in 1880, to meet 
the difficulties raised by Turkey 
in carrying out the provisions 
of the Berlin Treaty, relative 
to Montenegro. He proposed 
that Turkey should retain 
Gussinje and Plava, ceding in- 
stead Kutschi-Kraina and 
Podgoritza. 

Corvee. 

Enforced labour on the roads 
and other public works, exacted 
from the French peasant before 
the Revolution. The same 
system prevailed in Egypt prior 
to the English occupation. 

Cossacks. 

The inhabitants of the de- 
bateable land between the Rus» 
sian frontier and the Crim Tar- 
tars. The most important of 
these communities were those 
of the Dnieper and the Don. 
They retained a certain degree 
of independence until the reign 
of Catherine II of Russia. 
The soldiers of the military cor- 
don established by the Russians 
and Poles along their southern 
frontiers were also known as 
Cossacks. 

Cottereaux. 

Bands of mercenaries in the 
French service during the twelfth 
century. 

Cotton Famine. 

The name given to the distress 
in Lancashire in 1862, in conse- 
quence of the cessation of cotton 
shipments from America during 
the Civil War, by which thou- 



68 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



sands of operatives were 
thrown out of employment. 
Large sums were received by- 
subscriptions in aid, and in 
August of that year the Relief 
Act was passed, by which loans 
were granted to the guardians 
to enable them to establish 
relief works. 

Council of State. 

A council of forty-one mem- 
bers, in whom Parliament vested 
the executive power, on the 
proclamation of the Common- 
wealth in 1649. They were ap- 
pointed for one year. 

Councils. 

See Ancients, Anziani, Aulic, 
Blood, Castle, Clarendon, Con- 
sulta. Colonies, Federal, Fifteen, 
Five Hundred, Hlutdaw, Indies, 
Kilkenny, Magnum, North, 
Policy, Reason, Sixteen, Ten, 
Thirty-six. 

Councils, Church. 

See Bari, Basle, Clermont, 
Constance, Constantinople, Dort, 
Lateran, Lyons, Nicaea, OEcu- 
menical, Pisa, Trent, Vatican, 
Vienne. 

Country Party. 

A political party, formed 
about 1673, under the leadership 
of Lords Russell and Cavendish. 
They were in full sympathy with 
the demands of the Dissenters 
for toleration, and made it their 
special business to keep a watch 
on the religious and political 
designs of the Court. They 
afterwards became known as 
Whigs. 

County Palatine. 

A county possessing certain 
Royal privileges, created origi- 
nally for defence of the frontier 
against the Welsh, the Scotch 



and the French. They were 
Chester, Lancaster, Durham, 
Kent, Shropshire, Pembroke- 
shire, and Hexhamshire. Only 
the three first named retained 
any of their privileges beyond 
the sixteenth century. 

Coup d'Etat. 

A term applied to any over- 
throw of free institutions by 
military intervention, but used 
especially to denote the bold 
stroke of Louis Napoleon, who 
by a display of military force in 
the Paris streets in December, 
1 85 1, and the imprisonment of 
the Republican members of the 
Chamber, succeeded in getting 
himself proclaimed Consul, and, 
later. Emperor. 

Cour d' Heritage. 

An ancient feudal court in 
Jersey, having jurisdiction over 
all disputed questions as to 
landed property. 

Cours Plenieres. 

Assemblies of the Barons, 
called, on the great festivals 
,of the year, by the early kings 
of France and England. 

Court Baron. 

A court of the old Norman 
Manor, summoned to settle all 
questions arising out of the 
cultivation of the demesne land 
of the Manor. 

Court Customary. 

A baronial court in feudal 
times held to decide questions 
arising out of the tenure of land 
by villeins. 

Court Leet. 

Under Henry I the Hundred 
Court was so called, when it sat 
for the purpose of trying crimi- 
nal cases under the presidency 
of the Sheriff. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 69 



Courte Paix. 

See Longjumeau. 

Courts. 

See Audiencias, Augmenta- 
tions, Aulic, Austragal, College 
of Justice, Chambre, Confines, 
Consistorium, Curia Regis, Four 
Burghs, Great Session, Haute 
Cour, Heemraden, High Com- 
mission, Jews, Manor, Parle- 
ment. Pies Poudrees, Reichs- 
kammergericht, Requests, Sal- 
ford, Star Chamber, TrilDunal, 
T5niwald, Vehmgericht, Wales. 

Coventry Act. 

An Act passed in 1671 de- 
claring nose-slitting or other 
mutilation of the person to be 
a felony. It was passed in con- 
sequence of a dastardly attack 
upon Sir James Coventry, 
a Member of Parliament, who, 
having incurred the enmity of 
the Court party by some com- 
ments in the House on Charles 
the Second's liaison with Nell 
Gwynne, was waylaid on his 
way home by Sir Thomas 
Sandys and some of the King's 
friends, who dragged him from 
his coach and slit his nose to the 
bone. 

Cowboys. 

Bands of British marauders 
who infested the banks of the 
Hudson River during the Ameri- 
can War of Independence. The 
name is now applied to the 
cattlemen on the ranches in the 
Far West. 

Cowper-Temple Clause. 

A clause inserted in the Edu- 
cation Act of 1870, embodying 
an amendment moved by Mr. 
Cowper-Temple. It provides 
that unsectarian Bible teaching 



shall be given during school 
hours in all rate-aided schools 
under the School Boards, 

Coyne and Livery. 

The right of an Irish chieftain 
to quarter his soldiery on the 
tenants. It was forbidden by 
the Statute of Kilkenny in 1 307, 
and was finally stopped in 1603. 
It was called by the Irish 
" Bonaght." 

Cradle of Liberty. 

The name given to Faneuil 
Hall, Boston, which was the 
place of meeting of the American 
patriots during the period of 
the Revolution. 

Craigmillar, Bond of. 

An agreement entered into 
in 1566, at the instigation of 
Bothwell, by Argyle, Huntly, 
Maitland and Sir James Balfour, 
with the object of compassing 
the death of Darnley. 

Crapaud, Jean. 

A Frenchman is so called, 
probably from the fleur-de-lys 
of the old French standard, 
which bears a faint resemblance 
to a toad (crapaud). 

Creole State. 

The State of Louisiana is so 
called because of the large num- 
ber of its inhabitants who are 
descendants of the original 
French and Spanish settlers. 

Creoles. 

In Spanish America this term 
is applied to all persons of pure 
European descent, born in South 
America. Those with an ad- 
mixture of Indian blood are 
known as Mestizos. The word 
Creole was also applied in Louis- 
iana to those of pure French 
descent who were born in the 
Colony. 



70 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Cretan Convention. 

A convention between the 
Porte and the Powers, signed in 
September, 1896. It provided 
for the appointment of a Chris- 
tian Governor, and for the sum- 
moning of an Assembly within 
six months. Two-thirds of the 
official appointments were to be 
held by Christians and one third 
by Mohammedans. The Cretan 
Government was to retain one 
half of the Customs duties, the 
other half being taken by the 
Sultan, in lieu of the old tribute. 

Crimes Act, 1882. 

An Act empowering the Lord 
Lieutenant of Ireland to suspend 
jury trial in disturbed districts, 
and to send agrarian cases for 
trial by a commission of three 
judges, with an appeal to the 
Court of Criminal Cases Re- 
served. Power of search was 
given to the police in proclaimed 
districts, and, further, power 
to arrest and remove strangers 
thought dangerous to public 
safety. 

Crimes Act, 1887. 

An Act to repress the lawless- 
ness of the Irish Land League. 
It gave power to the Lord 
Lieutenant to proclaim the 
affected districts, and to sup- 
press seditious gatherings and 
unlawful associations. It also 
provided for change of venue, 
in cases where a fair trial could 
not be relied upon under ordi- 
nary conditions. 

Croppies. 

A name given to the Round- 
heads during the Civil War. 
The Irish rebels of 1798 were 
also called by this name. 

Crown, Treaty of the. 

A treaty signed at Vienna in 



1700, between the Emperor 
Leopold I, and Frederick, Elector 
of Brandenburg, by which Leo- 
pold recognized Frederick as 
King of Prussia. Frederick 
undertook to place 10,000 men 
in the field for the service of the 
empire, if required, to support 
Austria in the German Diet, and 
to vote, as Elector, for Leopold's 
son, Joseph, and his successors 
as occupants of the Imperial 
throne. 

Crusade of Children. 

In 12 1 2, some 90,000 children, 
mostly from Germany, inspired 
by the crusading spirit of the 
times, left their homes for the 
Holy Land. Many who em- 
barked at Marseilles were carried 
to Alexandria and there sold as 
slaves. Others got no further 
than Genoa, where they were 
enslaved by the Genoese. 

Cum ex Apostolatus Officio, Bull. 
A Bull of Pope Paul IV, issued 
in 1559, declaring all Protestant 
Princes incapable of reigning, 
and giving Catholics the right 
to levy on their possessions. 

Cumbernauld, Bond of. 

An agreement signed by John 
Graham, Earl of Montrose, and 
his associates, prior to their 
invasion of England in August, 
1640, by which they bound 
themselves to oppose any dic- 
tatorship vested in the hands 
of subjects. 

Cupar Justice. 

See Jedburgh Justice. 

Curfew, or Couvrefeu. 

The famous enactment of 
William the Conqueror, ordering 
all persons in the country 
districts to be in their houses, 
with all lights extinguished, by 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 71 



eight o'clock in winter and 
sunset in summer. It was 
presumably designed to prevent 
secret meetings and conspira- 
cies directed against the King, 
of which there were many, owing 
to his unpopularity with the 
Saxon element of the popu- 
lation. 

Curia Regis. 

A court of law established by 
William the Conqueror as the 
Final Court of Appeal of the 
realm. At its head was the 
Justiciary, as the King's re- 
presentative. It was re-organ- 
ised in the reign of Henry I, 
when the Exchequer Court was 
established by Roger of Salis- 
bury, the Barons of the Curia 
Regis sitting as Barons of the 
Exchequer for financial pur- 
poses. It was again reconstituted 
by Henry II, who limited its 
numbers to five, and by Magna 
Charta, when it was divided 
into three courts, those of the 
Exchequer, the Common Pleas, 
and the King's Bench. It thus 
took the form which lasted, 
with minor modifications, until 
the Judicature Acts of 1873-5. 

Curt-Mantle. 

The nickname of Henry II of 
England, from his wearing the 
short cloak of Anjou instead 
of the longer mantle worn by 
his predecessors. 

Custer Massacre. 

The destruction by a body of 
Sioux Indians of the whole of 
General Custer's force, on the 
Little Big Horn, Montana, in 
1876. 

Custos Rotulorum. 

The keeper of the rolls of the 
County Sessions. The office is 



generally held by the Lord 
Lieutenant of the County. 

Cyprus Treaty. 

A treaty between Great 
Britain and Turkey, signed in 
1788, whereby the Sultan re- 
cognized the occupation and 
administration of Cyprus by 
Great Britain, with the following 
provisos: that a Mussulman 
religious tribunal should be 
established ; that all surplus 
revenue should be paid to him ; 
that the Porte should retain the 
right to sell or lease lands be- 
longing to the Crown, and that 
Cjrprus should be restored to 
the Porte in the event of Russia 
restoring Kars. 



Dacoity. 

The name given in India to 
brigandage or highway robbery. 
It was very prevalent in Burmah 
after the annexation. 

Daimios. 

The great hereditary nobles 
of Japan. The principal Dai- 
mios, such as the Princes of 
Satsuma, Choshiu, Kaga, and 
some others, were almost in the 
position of independent sove- 
reigns, though they owed a 
nominal allegiance to the Em- 
peror, and in some cases to the 
Shogun. The word, strictly 
Dai-miyo, signifies " Great 
Name." 

Dalai Lama. 

The sovereign pontiff or spirit- 
ual ruler of Thibet. He is 
supposed to be always a re- 
incarnation of a previous holder 
of the office. The actual gov- 
ernment is carried on by the 
Des-ri, or king. 



72 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Dancing Chancellor. 

Sir Christopher Hatton, Chan- 
cellor of Queen Elizabeth, was 
so called. The Queen first saw 
him at a masque, where her 
attention was attracted by his 
graceful dancing. 

Dandy King. 

A nickname of Joachim Murat, 
King of Naples. 

Danegelt. 

A tax imposed for the first 
time by iEthelred the Unready, 
for the purpose of buying off 
the Danish invaders, in 994. It 
became a permanent tax till the 
reign of Henry II, who replaced 
it by " Scutage." 

Danelagh. 

The country ceded to the 
Danes bythe Treaty of Wedmore, 
in 878. 

Danites. 

A Mormon secret society, 
founded in 1838, for the pro- 
tection of the Mormons from 
the " Gentiles." It contained 
organized companies, called 
" Destruction Companies/' 

whose business it was to burn 
and destroy " Gentile " pro- 
perty, nominally by way of 
reprisals, and there is little 
doubt that these bands did not 
stop short of assassination. 
They were probably concerned 
in the Mountain Meadow Mass- 



Dannebrog, Order of the. 

A Danish order of knight- 
hood, founded by Waldemar II 
in 1 2 19, and reconstituted by 
Christian V in 1693. 

Danube Navigation Commission. 

An international commission 

appointed in 1856, when the 

navigation of the Danube was 



thrown open to all nations. 
It was originally appointed for 
two years only, but has from 
time to time been continued, 
the last extension being for 
twenty-one years from 1883. 
Its jurisdiction extends from 
the mouths of the Danube to 
the Iron Gate. 

Dardanelles, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in London in 
1 841, after the conclusion of 
the Syrian War, by England, 
France, Russia, Prussia, 

Austria and Turkey. It con- 
firmed the agreement arrived 
at by the Convention of London 
of the previous year, depriving 
Mehemet Ali of all his Asiatic 
possessions, but securing him 
the Government of Egypt. It 
also provided that the Bos- 
phorus and the Dardanelles 
should be closed to all ships 
of war, excepting small vessels 
under a special firman. This 
provision was confirmed by 
the Treaty of Paris of 1856. 
The Treaty of the Dardanelles 
is also known as the Treaty of 
London. 

Darien Scheme. 

A scheme promoted by a 
Scotchman named Paterson, in 
the reign of William III, to 
secure the trade with the Far 
East by utilising a route across 
the Isthmus of Darien. A 
company was formed, and ob- 
tained a charter from the 
Scottish Parliament, granting 
a monopoly for thirty-one years 
of the trade with Asia, Africa, 
and America, and the right 
to introduce all goods from 
those regions free of duty, 
excepting sugar and tobacco. 
In 1698, 1,200 colonists started 
for Darien, but were at once 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 73 



opposed by the Spanish colonists, 
and though a further expedition 
was dispatched in the following 
year, the whole enterprise 
failed ignominiously. The 
scheme had from the first been 
opposed in England, and was 
the cause of much bad blood 
between the two countries, and 
of a heavy pecuniary loss to 
Scotland. 

Dauphin. 

The title of the first-born 
heir-male to the French throne. 

Da Facto King, Statute of. 

A Statute of Henry VII, 
passed in 1485, enacting that 
no person could be convicted 
of high treason for services 
rendered to the King who 
was actually on the throne. 

Death Ride. 

The charge of the Light 
Cavalry Brigade at Balaclava, 
on September 20, 1854, is so 
called. 

Debateable Land. 

A district on the English and 
Scottish borders, claimed by 
both countries, and inhabited by 
the Grahams, who were gener- 
ally on the Enghsh side in 
war time, though they raided 
both sides of the border im- 
partially in time of peace. The 
district lay between the waters 
of the Esk and the Sark. 
Under James I the whole 
Graham Clan was removed to 
Ulster. 

Decamisados. 

The extreme section of the 
Spanish revolutionists in 1821. 
They may be said to correspond 
to the French sans-culottes. 
The word means the " shirtless 
ones." 



December Emeute. 

A meeting of about 200 
students and young people, on 
the Nekvsi Prospekt in St. 
Petersburg, in 1876, at which 
cheers were raised for the exiles 
in Siberia. The poUce interfered, 
and arrested some thirty, but 
there seems to have been little 
resistance, and the affair, though 
supposed to have been part of a 
more important movement, was 
probably much exaggerated by 
the authorities. 

December, Man of. 

Napoleon III was so called 
because December was the 
month of his election to the 
Presidency, of the Coup d'Etaf, 
and of his taking the title of 
Emperor. 

December Rising. 

An outbreak in St. Peters- 
burg in December, 1825, on 
the accession of Nicholas I, 
fomented by a revolutionary 
society known as the Society 
of the North. The rightful heir 
to the throne was Constantine,the 
elder brother of Nicholas, but 
he had waived his rights. The 
revolutionists, however, made 
use of the question of succession 
to excite the mob, their real 
object being the overthrow of 
the dynasty. The rising was 
easily suppressed, and the ring- 
leaders convicted and hanged. 
The conspirators were after- 
wards known as the Dekabrists. 

Decet Romanum Pontificum, 
Bull. 
A Bull of Leo X, issued in 
January, 1521, calling upon the 
German Princes to uphold the 
Papal authority by condemning 
Luther unheard. 



74 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Decimation. 

An arbitrary income-tax of 
ten per cent, levied on all 
Royalists by Cromwell's Major- 
Generals, in 1655. 

Declaration of Independence 
(America). 
The Manifesto issued by the 
second Congress in America, on 
July 4, 1776, declaring the 
colonies independent. It was 
only carried in Congress by a 
majority of one. 

Declaration of Independence 
(Brazil). 
This instrument, promulgated 
in 1822, proclaimed the separa- 
tion of Brazil from the Crown 
of Portugal. The colony was 
erected into a constitutional 
monarchy, Pedro, the second 
son of John VI of Portugal, being 
proclaimed Emperor. 

Declaration of Indulgence, 1673. 
A proclamation by Charles II, 
suspending all penal laws against 
Dissenters. Parliament, how- 
ever, held that while the King 
had the power of pardon in 
individual cases, he had no 
constitutional right to suspend 
general enactments. The King 
was consequently forced to 
withdraw the Declaration. 

Declaration of Indulgence, 1687. 
A proclamation by James II, 
issued on his sole authority, 
annulling all religious tests, and 
all penal enactments against 
Dissenters, which he ordered 
to be read in the churches. 
This led to the famous Protest 
of the Seven Bishops. 

Declaration of Right. 

A declaration by the Con- 
vention, accompanying the offer 
of the Crown to William of 



Orange in 1689. It declared that 
the dispensing power was non- 
existent, that the sovereign 
could only raise money by the 
aid of Parliament, and that no 
army could be maintained in 
time of peace. It further 
asserted the right of petition, 
of freedom of debate in Parlia- 
ment, of free choice of repre- 
sentatives, and of pure adminis- 
tration, and the necessity of 
frequent Parliaments. The 

declaration was accepted by 
William, and afterwards em- 
bodied in the Bill of Right. 

Declaration of Rights. 

A manifesto issued by the 
General Congress in America, 
in 1774, maintaining the rights 
of American colonists as 
Englishmen, and demanding the 
repeal of the Boston Port Act 
and other obnoxious legislation. 

Decretals, False. 

A collection of Decretals, or 
Papal Edicts, purporting to 
have been issued by very early 
Popes, which was produced 
in the ninth century. These 
Decretals were designed to sup- 
port the claim of the Bishops 
of Rome to supreme authority 
in the Church. 

Defender of the Faith. 

The title granted to Henry 
VIII by Leo X in 1521, in 
recognition of his book " The 
Assertion of the Seven Sacra- 
ments," written in opposition 
to the Lutheran doctrine. This 
title has been borne by all the 
English Sovereigns since Henry 
VIII. 

Defenders. 

The name assumed by the 
agrarian bands formed by the 
Catholic farmers of Ulster for 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 75 



defence against the Peep o' Day 
Boys, in 1782, 

Defensionale. 

A joint military scheme for 
the defence of the country, 
drawn up by the Federated 
States of Switzerland, in 1647. 

Deficit, Madame. 

A name given by the Paris- 
ians to Marie Antoinette, circ. 
1786, the constant deficits in 
the French Budget being attri- 
buted to her extravagance. 

Dekabrists. 

The name given to the con- 
spirators concerned in the 
December rising in St. Peters- 
burg in 1825. 

Delegations. 

A body of 120 members, 
chosen half by the Austrian 
and half by the Hungarian 
Legislature, which controls all 
questions afifecting the common 
interests of the dual monarchy. 
To this body the Ministers of 
War, Foreign Affairs, and 
Finance are responsible. To 
have the force of law, its 
enactments require the con- 
firmation of both Parliaments. 

Demarcation, Bull of. 

The Bull issued by Pope 
Alexander VI in 1493, defining 
the respective colonial spheres 
of Spain and Portugal. A line 
was drawn north and south, 
100 leagues west of the Azores, 
All extra-European countries 
east of this line were granted 
to Portugal, and all west of it 
to Spain. On this Bull Spain 
based her claim to the whole of 
the American Continent. 

Demesne Lands. 

The lands belonging to the 
Crown were so called in the 
early days of English History. 



Demetrius, The False. 

A pretender to the Russian 
throne, who appeared in Poland, 
and obtained the support of 
the Jesuits in 1591. He claimed 
to be the Demetrius Ivanovitch 
who was supposed to have been 
murdered by the usurper Boris. 
After the death of Boris, the 
Pretender, aided by the Poles, 
entered Moscow, and ascended 
the throne, but the Muscovites 
soon discovered the fraud and 
put him to death. 

Democrats (U.S.A.). 
See Republicans. 

Deogam, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the British 
and the Rajah of Berar, at the, 
close of the second Mahratta 
War in 1803. The Rajah sur- 
rendered Katak and Balasore, 
and all his territory west of 
the Wardha, and assented to 
the conditions of the Treaty of 
Bassein. 

Deposition, Bull of, 1535. 

A Bull of Pope Paul III, 
dated in 1535, and issued in the 
following year, excommunicating 
and deposing Henry VIII . It was 
the Pope's reply to the Act of 
Supremacy and the execution 
of Fisher and Sir Thomas 
More. 

Deposition, Bull of, 1569. 

A Bull issued by Pius V, 
declaring Queen Elizabeth to 
have forfeited her right to the 
throne, and freeing her sub- 
jects from their allegiance. 

Derby Dilly. 

A name given to a section of 
the Tory party in 1835, which 
followed Lord Stanley, after- 
wards Earl of Derby. 

Despard's Plot. 

A conspiracy, headed by 



76 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Colonel Despard, a retired army 
officer, who had become imbued 
with the principles of the French 
Revolution, to assassinate 
George III, 1802. His accom- 
plices were almost all men of 
the labouring classes. The con- 
spirators were seized, and Des- 
pard and some others hanged. 

Des-ri. 

The king or political ruler of 
Thibet, to whom the functions 
of government are handed over 
by the Dalai Lama. 

Destiny, Man of. 

Napoleon I was so-called, 
owing to his firm belief in his 
lucky star. 

Devil's Parliament. 

A Parliament summoned by 
Kenry VI at Coventry in 1459. 
It passed a Bill of Attainder 
against the Yorkist leaders. 

Devil's Wall. 

The wall which in ancient 
times separated England from 
Scotland. 

Devolution, Law of. 

An ancient local custom in 
certain fiefs of Brabant, where- 
by, upon the death of one parent 
the fief passed to the children. 

Diamond, Battle of. 

The name given to an affray in 
1795, at Diamond, a village 
near Armagh, between the 
Defenders and the Peep o' Day 
Boys, in which the latter were 
victorious. 

Diamond Necklace. 

A scandal of the Court of 
Louis XVI, in 1785, to which 
the unpopularity of Marie An- 
toinette was largely due, Mme. 
Lamothe, the mistress of the 
Cardinal de Rohan, gave the 
Cardinal an order, purporting 



to be signed by the Queen, for 
a diamond necklace, which the 
Cardinal ordered from the Court 
jeweller, giving bills for pay- 
ment by instalments, Madame 
Lamothe, by means of another 
forged document, obtained pos- 
session of the necklace, and 
turned it to her own uses. The 
Cardinal being unable to meet 
the first bill when it became 
due, the jeweller applied to the 
Queen. The matter came to 
the ears of the King, who 
ordered an inquiry, and Mme. 
Lamothe was arrested and con- 
victed, and the Cardinal dis- 
graced. Nothing was proved 
against the Queen, but the 
public remained convinced that 
she was in some way mixed up 
in the affair. 

Diamond State. 

The State of Delaware, U.S.A., 
is so called. 

Diamond Trade Act. 

An Act passed by the Cape 
Parliament in 1882, to suppress 
illicit diamond buying, or 
I.D.B. This Act made it 
criminal to possess an uncut 
diamond without being able to 
account for its lawful possession. 
It also gave the police large 
powers of search, including the 
right to open suspicious parcels 
in the post. The administration 
of this Act was the cause of the 
Kimberley Riots. 

Dictator of a Day. 

Pavia, Captain-General of 
Madrid, who by a pronuncia- 
miento in 1869, obtained the 
supreme power, which he at 
once handed over to Marshal 
Serrano. 

Dingaan's Day. 

December 16, 1838, on which 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 77 



day the Transvaal Commandos 
completely routed the Zulu 
chief Dingaan, thus avenging 
the massacre of the Boer farmers 
in the early part of the same 
year. 

Directoire. 

The Government established 
in France after the fall of 
Robespierre, in July, 1794. The 
power was vested in five 
directors, assisted by a Council 
of five hundred, and a Council 
of two hundred and fifty mem- 
bers known as the Council of 
Ancients. It lasted until 1799, 
when the Consulate was estab- 
lished by the Coup d'Etat of 
November 9 (i8th Brumaire). 

Disarming Act. 

One of the Irish Penal Laws, 
passed in 1695, under which all 
Papists were ordered to sur- 
render their arms, under penalty 
of a heavy fine for the first 
offence, and of imprisonment 
for life for the second. 

Disarming the Highlands, Act 
for. 

An Act passed in 1825, for- 
bidding the carrying of arms 
by the Highland clansmen. 

Disastrous Peace. 

The Treaty of Cateau Cam- 
bresis in 1559, whereby Henri 
renounced his Italian claims, 
was so called by the French. 

Discipline, Books of. 

The two publications embody- 
ing the constitution and proce- 
dure of the Church of Scotland. 
The first was drawn up by John 
Knox, and four other ministers, 
in 1560. The second, a revised 
version of the first, was drawn 
up by Andrew Melville, and 
sanctioned by the General 
Assembly in 1578. 



Discoverers. 

Certain persons in Ireland, 
circ. 1616, who made it their 
business to investigate some of 
the older titles to land. In the 
event of their discovering any 
flaw in the titles, such lands 
were confiscated, the informer 
receiving a percentage of the 
value. 

Disinherited. 

The Barons who continued 
the Barons' War after the 
Battle of Evesham were so 
called because a decree of 
forfeiture had been issued 
against aU the supporters of 
Simon de Montfort. 

Dissolution of Monasteries. 

This was carried out by an 
Act passed in 1536, supple- 
mented in 1539 by a further 
Act, vesting all monastic pro- 
perty in the Crown. 

Divine Right. 

The doctrine of the inalienable 
right of the next in succession 
to ascend the throne by virtue 
of inheritance, apart from any 
considerations of fitness or 
Parliamentary sanction. It 

reached its apogee in the Stuart 
times, and was discarded with 
the adoption of William III as 
King of Great Britain and Ire- 
land. 

Dix-huit Brumaire. 

The Coup d'Etat of Novem- 
ber 9, 1799, when Napoleon 
overthrew the Directoire, and 
had himself appointed First 
Consul. 

Dix-huit Fructidor. 

The Coup d'Etat of Sept- 
ember 4, 1797, whereby the 
Royalist plot in which certain 



78 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



members of the Directoire and 
the Councils were implicated, 
was frustrated. 

Dixie's Land. 

A popular name for the 
Southern States of America in 
the slavery days. 

Doctrinaires. 

The name given to the philo- 
sophic Liberals in France, in 
the reign of Louis XVIII. 

Domesday Book. 

A register of the holders of 
land compiled by Commis- 
sioners appointed by William, 
the Conqueror. 

Dominicans. 

An order of mendicant friars, 
known as the Preaching Friars, 
and in England as the Black 
Friars, founded by St. Dominic 
and recognized by Pope 
Honorius III in 1216. To this 
Order was entrusted the conduct 
of the Inquisition. 

Dominus ac Redemptor noster, 
Bull. 
The Bull of Clement XIV, 
issued in 1773, suppressing the 
Jesuits. 

Don Pacific©. 

A British subject, a Jew of 
Gibraltar, whose house at Athens 
was burnt by a mob in 1847. 
The difficulty and delay in ob- 
taining compensation led to 
Lord Palmerston sending a 
fleet to the Piraeus. Greece 
appealed to France and Russia, 
and a European war was for 
some time within measurable 
distance. 

Donation of Charles. 

A gift of Charlemagne to 
Pope Adrian I, in 774. It is 
uncertain of what the donation 



consisted, though it included a 
confirmation of the " Donation 
of Pepin." It was declared by 
the Popes, however, to have 
been a gift of the whole of the 
ItaUan peninsula, and by some 
even to have been a renewal 
of the fabled "Donation of 
Constantine." 

Donation of Constantine. 

A legendary gift to the Pope 
of the imperial sovereignty 
over Italy and the whole of 
the Western Empire. This 
document is included amongst 
the False Decretals. 

Donation of Pepin. 

The gift of Pepin, the first 
king of the Carlovingian dynasty, 
to the See of Rome, in 1755, of 
Ravenna and the surrounding 
country, which he had recently 
conquered from the Lombards. 
This donation may be said to 
be the foundation of the 
temporal power of the Popes, 
which lasted until 1870. 

Donauworth, Troubles of. 

A series of disturbances at 
Donauworth, a free Protestant 
town in Suabia, in 1606, due 
to the Catholic minority insist- 
ing on holding religious pro- 
cessions through the streets of 
the town. The Aulic Council, 
supported by the Emperor, 
placed Donauworth under the 
ban of the Empire, and eventu- 
ally made it a Catholic town, 
within the jurisdiction of 
Bavaria. The action of the Aulic 
Council in this case resulted in 
the formation of the Protestant 
League in 1608. 

Dongan Charter. 

The charter of the City of 
New York, granted in 1686 by 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 79 



Thomas Dongan, Governor of 
New York under James II. 

Donis Conditionalibus, Statute 
De. 

A Statute of Edward the 
First's reign, which provided 
that if an estate were given to 
a man and his children, he 
had only a life interest in it, 
and in the event of his dying 
without issue, the estate re- 
verted to the donor. Prior to 
this statute, it was sufficient 
that a child was born to him, 
when the estate became his 
absolute property, and could 
be alienated at will. This 
statute, in fact, established 
the system of entails. 

Doom-Book. 

A codification of the Anglo- 
Saxon laws and customs, made 
by Alfred the Great (871-901). 

Doppers. 

The members of the Separatist 
Reformed Church in the Trans- 
vaal and Orange Free State. 
It was established by Mr. 
Postma in the Transvaal, in 
1859, and is now a very influ- 
ential body. Its tenets are not 
unlike those of the Scottish 
Covenanters. 

Dorr's Rebellion. 

An insurrection in Rhode 
Island, headed by Thomas W. 
Dorr, in 1841, having for its 
object the extension of the 
suffrage, which remained as 
originally instituted by the 
Charter of Charles II in 1663. 
He seized the State Arsenal, 
but was overpowered, and later 
was arrested and sentenced 
to imprisonment for life. He 
was afterwards pardoned. His 
movement, however, resulted in 
the adoption, in 1842, of a con- 



stitution to supersede the- 
Charter of 1663. 

Dort, Synod of. 

A synod held in 16 18, to 
which aU the Protestant 
Churches were invited to send 
representatives. It was specially 
convened for the purpose of 
considering the Arminian 
heresy, and resulted in the con- 
demnation of Arminianism, and 
the expulsion of its followers 
from Holland. 

Douglas Larder. 

When Sir James Douglas (The 
Good) recovered his castle from 
the English in 1 306, he massacred 
the garrison, and threw their 
bodies, together with all the 
stores and provisions found in 
the castle, into a cellar. This 
was called by the English the 
" Douglas Larder." 

Douglas Wars. 

The Civil War in Scotland 
between the King's men and 
Queen's men from 1568 to 1573^ 
was so called from the family 
name of the Earl of Morton, 
who was Regent during the 
later period of the war. 

Dover, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Charles 
II and Louis XIV, signed in 
1670, by which Charles was to 
re-establish Roman Cathohcism, 
receiving from Louis ;^200,ooo 
a year, and the use of 6,00a 
French troops. He was to aid 
Louis in lus designs against 
Holland, receiving as a reward 
the Province of Zeeland, and 
further to support Louis in his 
claim to the Spanish succession, 
for which service he was to 
receive as payment Minorca 
and Ostend. 



So DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Dozsa Revolt. 

A revolt of peasants under 
George Dozsa, in Hungary, in 
the reign of Ladislas ( 1 490- 1516) 
which was suppressed with con- 
siderable difficulty and great 
cruelty, and led to the peasants 
being reduced to a condition 
little removed from serfdom. 

Draft Riots. 

An outbreak in New York 
in 1863, to resist the drafting 
of New Yorkers into the Union 
Army. The mob held possession 
of the city for four days, the 
absence of the militia at the 
front having left only the police 
available for the protection of 
the city. It is calculated that 
over 1,000 persons were killed, 
and damage done to the extent 
of two million dollars during 
the riots. 

Dragonnades. 

The persecution of the 
Huguenots in Poitou and other 
parts of France by the dragoons 
of Louvois and Marillac in 1685. 

Dred Scott Case. 

A case decided by the Supreme 
Court of the United States 
in 1855. Dred Scott, a negro, 
claimed that having lived with 
his owner in a free labour state, 
he could not be sold back into 
slavery on his master's death. 
The Supreme Court decided 
against him, and further laid it 
•down that he had no locus 
standi before the Court, as 
the rights of citizenship could 
not be claimed by any person 
who had been a slave or was 
the descendant of a slave. 

Dreikaiserbund. 

An alliance, more or less 
formal, between the three Em- 
perors of Austria, Germany, and 



Russia, dating from a personal 
meeting in 1872. It had ceased 
to exist in any form prior to 
1879, when the foundation of 
the existing Triple Alliance 
was laid, 

Dreyfus Case. 

In December, 1894, Captain 
Dreyfus, a Jewish artillery 
officer, employed at the General 
Staff in Paris, was found guilty 
of supplying confidential docu- 
ments to foreign Powers, and 
sentenced to degradation and 
transportation for life. His 
friends were convinced of his 
innocence, and began an agita- 
tion which by degrees attracted 
the attention of many eminent 
Frenchmen, among others Emile 
Zola, who took up his cause with 
great warmth. Eventually the 
Government were forced to sub- 
mit the case to the Cour de 
Cassation, which quashed the 
conviction and ordered a new 
trial. Dreyfus was brought back 
to France in 1899, and tried 
by court-martial at Rennes. 
Though his innocence was gen- 
erally believed in outside 
France, he was again found 
guilty, but was almost immedi- 
ately pardoned by the President, 
The case was the occasion of a 
wild outburst of anti-semitism in 
France. In February, 1903, it 
was rumoured that the case was 
to be re-opened by the Drey- 
fusites, evidence having come 
to light of the methods adopted 
by the General Staff to secure 
the second conviction. 

Drifts, Closing the. 

In 1 895 the Transvaal Govern- 
ment raised the rates on mer- 
chandise on the railway between 
the Vaal and Johannesburg, in 
order to force importers to use 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



8i 



the newly-opened Delagoa Bay 
Railway. The Cape importers 
thereupon unloaded their mer- 
chandise at the frontier, and 
sent it on to Johannesburg by 
waggon. President Kruger then 
closed the drifts, or fords, on 
the Vaal on October i. He 
was reminded that this action 
was a breach of the London 
Convention, but he remained 
obdurate, and it was found 
necessary to resort to a display 
of force, before which he gave 
way. 

Drogheda, Statute of. 

Generally known as Poyn- 
ing's Act. 

Drunken Parliament. 

A Scottish Parliament which 
assembled in 1661. It passed 
the Episcopal Ordination and 
the Mile Acts, and it is said that 
at the passing of the first-named 
Act, the whole assembly, with 
one exception, was intoxicated. 

Dual Alliance. 

The alliance at present exist- 
ing (1903) between France and 
Russia. Its earliest form was 
a military convention, signed 
in 1 89 1, whereby it was stipu- 
lated that either nation should, 
with a specified force, assist in 
repelling an attack on the other 
by Germany. This convention 
was extended in 1894, and in 
1897 became a definite alliance, 
for defensive purposes only, 
wherein all special reference to 
Germany is dropped. 

Dual Control. 

The control by England and 
France of the Egyptian finances 
established by a decree of 
September 4, 1879, which pro- 
vided that the Comptrollers- 
General of the two Powers 



should have the rank of 
Egyptian Ministers, and the 
right to attend, but not to vote 
at, meetings of the Council, 
together with full powers of 
inquiry into all questions of 
finance. The Dual Control 
ceased to exist when France 
declined to co-operate with 
England in the suppression of 
the Arabi revolt. 

Duclair Incident. 

This name is given to the 
seizure and destruction of six 
English vessels at Duclair, on 
the Seine, by the Germans 
during their occupation of 
France in 1870. FuU apologies 
and compensation were given. 

Duel, Trial by. 

Among the Norsemen a claim- 
ant was allowed, under certain 
conditions, to make good his 
claim by an appeal to arms. 
If victorious his claim was con- 
sidered established. This sys- 
tem WcLS abolished among the 
Danes and Norsemen by King 
Knut. 

Dukhobors. 

A Russian sect, claiming to 
live without submitting them- 
selves to human laws, and 
without reference to any other 
authority than that of Gods 
The refusal to undergo 
military service led to their 
expulsion from Russia, and 
they are now domiciled in 
Canada, where, in 1902, they 
caused the authorities no little 
trouble by their refusal to sub- 
mit to the law of the land. 

Dulcigno Arrangement. 

The final settlement of the 

Montenegro boundary question, 

long pending between the Great 

Powers and Turkey, replacing 

G 



82 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



the Corti Compromise which 
wavS not carried out. The 
transfer of territory fixed by 
this arrangement was completed 
in 1881. 

Dumb Captain. 

The Prince de Conde, the 
leader of the conspiracy of 
Amboise, was so called by his 
confederates. 

Dunces, Parliament of. 

The Parliament of Henry IV, 
which met at Coventry in 1404. 
See Unlearned Parliament. 

Dungannon Convention. 

A convention of Ulster volun- 
teer corps, held in 178 1, at 
which resolutions were passed 
protesting against Irish legis- 
lative dependence on England 
and against a perpetual Mutiny 
Act.^'fJ'The meeting further 
demanded freedom of commerce 
for Ireland, and proclaimed its 
belief in the right of private 
judgment in religious matters. 

Dupes, Journee des. 

November 11, 1603, on which 
day Marie de' Medici, Anne of 
Austria, and the Duke of Or- 
leans, were outwitted by Riche- 
lieu, whom they had persuaded 
Louis XIII to dismiss from his 
service. The Cardinal returned 
to office more powerful than 
ever. 

Durham, County Palatine of. 

Durham was made a County 
Palatine in the reign of Wil- 
liam I, and Palatine privileges 
were enjoyed by the Bishops of 
Durham until 1836. The ad- 
ministrative authority is now 
exercised on behalf of the 
Crown. 

Dutch East India Company. 
A company with trading and 



political rights, to which a 
charter was granted in 1602. 
Its affairs were controlled by 
a board of directors in Holland, 
and a governor-general in the 
Indies. It founded a colony at 
the Cape of Good Hope in 1652. 
In 1795 the Company ceased to 
exist, having become insolvent. 

Dutch Plot. 

A rising in New York in 1690 
under Jacob Leisler, declaring 
for William III. 

Dysiefald. 

The catastrophe of Dysieaa, 
where the revolting peasants 
were defeated by Waldemar I of 
Denmark in 1 1 8 1 . 



Eadgar's Law. 

The constitution of England 
during the reign of Eadgar 
(959-975 ) when, under the virtual 
rule of Dunstan, Archbishop of 
Canterbury, the various tribes 
of Saxons and Danes were 
united under one administration. 
Knut re-established Eadgar's 
Law on his accession in 1016. 

Eagle of Brittany. 

Bertrand Duguesclin, Con- 
stable of France (died 1380), 
was so called. 

Ealdorman. 

In Saxon times, a national 
ofi&cer, appointed by the king 
and council to control military 
affairs in the shire. He sat 
with the sheriff in the Shire 
Court. 

Earthquake, Council of the. 

The name given to the Synod 
of the English Church at which 
the Wycliffite doctrines were 
declared heretical. It was so 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 83 



called from a shock of earth- 
quake which was felt during the 
sitting of the Synod. 

East India Company. 

The first charter to the Indian 
merchants was granted in 1600, 
and made perpetual in 1609, a 
company being constituted under 
the title of the India Company, 
with the monopoly of the East- 
ern trade. During the Revolu- 
tion a rival company was formed 
whose competition threatened 
to extinguish the older Com- 
pany, but eventually the two 
were amalgamated in 1708. 
As the field of operations in 
India was extended, political 
questions became increasingly 
important, and such was the 
maladministration of the Com- 
pany, that the Government was 
constantly forced to interfere. 
In 1773 a Regulating Act was 
passed, by which a new council 
was appointed and other ad- 
ministrative reforms introduced, 
but the consequent improve- 
ment was not marked, and in 
1784 Pitt's India Bill withdrew 
all political power from the 
hands of the Company, while 
leaving their trading rights 
intact, and established a Board 
of Control, to be appointed by 
the British Government. In 
181 3 the trading monopoly of 
the Company was broken, so 
far as India was concerned, by 
the admission of independent 
traders to the Company's terri- 
tories, but they still retained 
the China trade. In 1834, how- 
ever, the restrictions on trade 
still afforded by the Company's 
charter were felt to be out of 
harmony with modern com- 
mercial ideas, and the whole of 
the Company's trading rights 



were swept away, in return for 
an annuity, payable for forty 
years, of ;^630,ooo, redeemable 
at the end of that period, at the 
Government's option, for a sum 
of ;^i 2,000,000. Before that 
period was ended, however, 
the Indian Mutiny broke out, 
and on its suppression, in 1858, 
the Company was finally dis- 
solved, and India passed under 
the direct rule of the United 
Kingdom. 

Ecclesiastical Reservation. 

A clause in the Religious 
Peace of Augsburg, of 1555, 
providing that any spiritual 
prince who changed his religion 
was to forfeit his office and the 
revenues of his see. 

Ecclesiastical Titles Act. 

An Act passed in 185 1 in 
response to the agitation caused 
by the action of the Pope in 
appointing Cardinal Wiseman 
to the Roman Catholic Arch- 
bishopric of Westminster. The 
Act declared the assumption 
of such titles to be illegal, but 
provided no penalties for a 
breach of the law, and hence 
was never enforced. It was 
repealed in 1871. 

Economists. 

A philosophical school, or 
sect, founded in France about 
1 76 1 by a physician of Mantes, 
named Quesnay. He main- 
tained that there was a natural 
order of human institutions, 
divinely ordained, and that, if 
this were adhered to, prosperity 
must ensue. He further argued 
that agriculture was the only 
true source of wealth. These 
doctrines largely influenced 
Turgot, the finance minister of 
Louis XVI. 



84 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Ecorcheurs. 

Bands of brigands who har- 
ried France during the Hundred 
Years' War. 

Edict of Nantes. 

An edict issued in 1598 by- 
Henri IV of France (Henry of 
Navarre) granting toleration to 
the Huguenots. It was revoked 
by Louis XIV in 1685, as a 
preHminary to a cruel persecu- 
tion of the Protestants, one 
result of which was their whole- 
sale emigration to England, 
Holland, and other Protestant 
countries. 

Edicts. 

See Capitularies, Chateau- 
briand, Emancipation, Frater- 
nity, Hatti Humayun, Majes- 
tats Brief, Moulins, Nemours, 
Orleans, Pavia, Perpetual, Quar- 
antaine. Reformation, Restitu- 
tion, Reunion, Romorantin, Six, 
Soissons, Tours, Villers-Cotterets, 
Worms. 

Edinburgh, Treaties of. 

Two treaties, signed in 1560, 
between France and Scotland 
and France and England re- 
spectively. By the first France 
undertook to withdraw her 
troops from Scotland, leaving 
the Government in the hands 
of the Council of the Lords. 
By the second she acknowledged 
Elizabeth's sovereignty over 
England and Ireland, and under- 
took to maintain her pledges to 
the Scots. 

Edmunds Law. 

A stringent law against poly- 
gamy, passed by the United 
States Congress in 1882. It 
was specially directed against 
the practice prevailing in the 
Mormon settlements of Utah. 



Education Act, 1870. 

An Act passed in 1870, estab- 
lishing a system of national 
elementary education in Eng- 
land and Wales, controlled by 
popularly elected bodies known 
as School Boards. Its intro- 
ducer was Mr. W. E. Forster. 
The system lasted till 1902, 
when it was abolished by the 
Act passed in that year. 

Education Act, 1902. 

An Act for the regulation and 
co-ordination of primary and 
secondary education in Eng- 
land and Wales, excepting 
London. It abolishes the 
School Boards established by 
the Act of 1870, and makes the 
County Council or Borough 
Council the education authority, 
subject in certain respects to the 
Board of Education. It further 
provides for the inclusion in 
the scheme of denominational 
schools,which prior to the passing 
of the Act received no support 
from the rates, but are now 
maintained from the same 
sources as the old board schools 
for all purposes of secular educa- 
tion. 

Egalite. 

The sobriquet of Philippe, 
Due d'Orleans, assumed by 
him to show his sympathy with 
the Revolutionary party in 
France in 1789. 

Eight Cantons, League of the. 
The confederation formed in 
1351-1353 by the admission of 
Zurich, Glarus, Zug and Berne 
into the Perpetual League of 
the four Forest Cantons. 

Eikon Basilike. 

A book published in 1649, 
shortly after the execution of 
Charles I, purporting to be his 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 85 



own account of his reign. 'In 
1660, however, the authorship 
of it was claimed by Dr. Gauden, 
Bishop of Exeter. The point 
in dispute is still unsettled, 
though most authorities oppose 
the theory that it is the work of 
Charles. 

El Dorado. 
See Manoa. 

Elephant, Order of the. 

A Danish order of knighthood, 
said to date from the first 
Crusade, but reorganized in 1693 
by Christian V. It is confined 
to thirty members, exclusive of 
royal knights. 

Eleven Articles. 

A short profession of the 
Protestant faith, issued on the 
accession of Queen Elizabeth, 
pending the revision of the 
forty-two Articles of 1552. 

Eltchi, The Great. 

The sobriquet of Sir Stratford 
Canning (Lord Stratford de 
Redcliffe), British Ambassador 
to the Porte from 1825 to 1828, 
and again from 1842 to 1858. 

Emancipation Act. 

An Act passed in 1833 for the 
abolition of slavery in the 
British dominions. It pro- 
vided that all children under 
six, and all born after the pass- 
ing of the Act, should be free. 
All other slaves were, for a 
period of twelve years, to serve 
their masters for three-fourths 
of their time, the remaining 
fourth being their own. This 
period was subsequently re- 
duced to seven years, and after 
being tried for four years the 
system was abandoned, and all 
slaves completely freed. Twenty 
million pounds was voted as 



compensation to the planters 
for the loss of their slave pro- 
perty. 

Emancipation, Edict of. 

An edict issued by Freiherr 
von Stein, Prussian Minister in 
1807, abolishing every form of 
villeinage then existing in 
Prussia, and declaring that from 
18.10 there should be none but 
freemen in the Prussian do- 



Emancipation Proclamation. 

A proclamation, issued by 
President Lincoln in January i, 
1863, declaring that all persons 
held in slavery in the States in 
arms against the Union were 
henceforth free. This procla- 
mation did not apply to those 
States which had not seceded 
from the Union, whose slaves 
were liberated by an amend- 
ment to the Constitution. 

Embargo Act, First. 

An Act of Congress, passed 
in 1807, as a reply to the English 
Orders in Council, prohibiting 
English vessels from making 
use of American ports. The 
Act was repealed in 1809. 

Embargo Act, Second, 

An Act passed by the United 
States Congress in 1810, by 
which vessels flying the United 
States flag were forbidden to 
trade between France and 
England, while French and 
English vessels were, at the 
same time, forbidden to touch 
at American ports. The 
American shipowners very 
soon found means to evade this 
law. 

Embassy, The. 

A deputation from the Vic- 
torian Government, under 



86 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Graham Berry, to the Colonial 
Ofi&ce, in 1878, arising out of 
the Victorian Deadlock, The 
Colonial Secretary declined to 
interfere, and the " Embassy " 
became the laughing-stock of 
the Colony. 

Emigres. 

The nobles and other Royal- 
ists, to the number of 123,000, 
who left France during the 
Revolution. Their estates were 
forfeited, and owing to the 
terms of the " Charte " of 
Louis XVIII were not, as a 
rule, recovered at the Restora- 
tion. It was said of them that 
they returned from exile " hav- 
ing learnt nothing and forgotten 
nothing." 

Eminence Grise, L'. 

A nickname of Fran9ois du 
Tremblay, the familiar of Car- 
dinal Richelieu. 

Emmett's Rebellion. 

An Irish rising under Robert 
Emmett in 1803. It was fo- 
mented by Napoleon, who had 
despatched numerous emissaries 
to Ireland during the currency 
of the Peace of Amiens. The 
rising was easily suppressed, 
and Emmett was hanged. 

Empire State. 

The State of New York is 
so called as being the richest 
and most influential of the 
States of the Union. 

Empire State of the South. 

The State of Georgia is so- 
called. 

Employers' Liability Bill, 1893. 
A bni rendering employers 
liable for compensation to their 
workmen for injuries received 
while at work. The bill was 
not passed, being wrecked by 



the question of " contracting 
out." Many large employers 
of labour had arrangements 
with their men, by which the 
latter contributed to an assur- 
ance fund, maintained in the 
main by the employer, for the 
purpose of providing compensa- 
tion for injury, the men being 
bound, under these conditions, 
not to take legal action for 
compensation. The House of 
Commons passed a clause ren- 
dering such contracts illegal, 
but the Lords inserted an amend- 
ment rendering them legal 
under certain safeguards as to 
the amount of the employers' 
contribution to the fund, etc. 
Neither party would give way; 
and the bill was withdrawn. 

Employers' Liability Act, 1897. 
An Act providing compensa- 
tion for death or injury, to work- 
men or their representatives, 
to be paid by the employer. 
The Act permits " contracting 
out," but in cases where the 
insurance fund is not suf&cient 
to provide the compensation 
required by the Act, the em- 
ployer is bound to make up 
the amount. 

Encomiendas. 

Concessions granted to the 
colonists in South America 
under Spanish rule, whereby 
they were permitted to hold as 
slaves, for a certain number of 
years, such Indians as they 
might require, for agricultural or 
mining purposes. 

Encumbered Estates Act. 

An Act to facilitate the sale 
of encumbered estates in Ire- 
land, and to give certain 
powers to sell, in cases otherwise 
restricted under entail. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 87 



Encyclopaedia. 

The famous work of Diderot 
Voltaire, d'Alembert and others, 
which was declared to be irre- 
ligious, and was undoubtedly hos- 
tile to the Church and to super- 
stition. It was produced be- 
tween 175 1 and 1765, and was 
proscribed in 1757, but con- 
tinued to circulate notwith- 
standing. 

Enfant de la Fortune. 

The nickname of " The Child 
of Fortune " was given to 
Massena by Napoleon, after the 
battle of Rivoli in 1797. 

Enfants de Dieu. 

The Camissards called them- 
selves by this title. 

Engagement. 

An agreement between Charles 
I and the two Scottish com- 
missioners at Carisbrooke, in 
1647, by which the Scotch 
agreed to support the king 
with an armed force, in return 
for which he undertook to 
accept the Covenant and es- 
tablish Presbyterianism . The 
supporters of this agreement in 
Scotland were known as En- 
gagers. 

Englishry, Law of. 

This arose from an edict of 
William I, inflicting a heavy fine 
for the murder of one of his 
soldiers. It was always as- 
sumed that any dead body 
discovered was that of a Nor- 
man, and to escape the fine it 
was necessary to prove that the 
corpse was that of an English- 
man. This was called " Pre- 
sentment of Englishry." 

Enrages, Club des. 

The Club of the Due d'Orleans, 
Philippe Egalite, circ. 1789. 



Entail. 

A system of land tenure, 
introduced by the statute " De 
Donis" in 1285, wherein the 
holder has only a life interest 
in the land, which passes at 
his death to his heirs male, and 
is precluded from alienation, 
or from any act which may 
diminish the capital value of 
the estate. 

Eperons d'Or, Journee des. 

See Spurs. 

Episcopal Ordination^ Act (Scot- 
land), ^-^^ym^^rn^ 

An Act passed by the Drunken 
Parliament in 1662, enacting 
that all holders of livings should 
be episcopaUy ordained. It is 
said that under this act some 
350 ministers were deprived of 
their livings. 

Equador, Confederacao do. 

A revolutionary sdciety,f ormed 
at Pernambuco in 1824, with 
the object of seceding from the 
Empire of Brazil and forming a 
republic. Its leader was Paes 
de Andrade. The revolt was 
suppressed in the same year. 

Era of Good Feeling. 

The period of Monroe's 
presidentship of the United 
States (1816-1820), during 
which there was a truce between 
the two great poHtical parties. 

Erastians. 

The followers of Thomas 
Liebler, known as Erastus, a 
Swiss theologian (1524-1583). 
He held that the Church was 
a civil institution, and subject to 
the State, and that consequently 
the Church per se had no right 
to punish by excommunication 
or otherwise any offences against 
the Church, its doctrine or 



88 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



government, such right be- 
longing to the State alone. 

Eric. 

Under the Brehon Law in 
Ireland, the only punishment 
recognized for all classes of 
offences, namely a money com- 
pensation. 

Erie Ring. 

A confederation of specula- 
tors who obtained control of 
the Erie Railway, and, working 
in with the Tammany Ring in 
New York, succeeded in amass- 
ing large fortunes, at the ex- 
pense of the shareholders. The 
various transactions between 
the two rings were exposed in 
1 87 1, and the Erie Ring was 
ousted from the management of 
the railway. 

Escheat. 

The reversion to the crown 
of an estate held in vassalage, 
on the failure of heirs to the 
vassal. 

Escuage. 

See Scutage. 

Essex Junto. 

The name given to a party 
of extreme Federalists in the 
United States about 1800. The 
name is taken from Essex 
County, Massachusetts, which 
was the centre of their influ- 
ence. 

Est-it-possible. 

The nickname of George of 
Denmark, the husband of Queen 
Anne. It was his invariable 
remark when any startling 
news was told him. 

Estates of Scotland. 

The Scottish Parliament was 
so called, as being an assembly 
of the three estates of the king- 



dom, namely the Clergy, the 
Barons, and the Burgesses. 
All the three Estates sat in one 
chamber. 

Estatuto Real. 

The new constitution promul- 
gated by Bermudez, the Minister 
of the Queen-Regent, Christina 
of Spain, in 1834, to replace the 
despotic system of Ferdinand. 

Etablissements de St. Louis. 

The code of laws issued by 
Louis IX of France, directed 
against the abuses of seignorial 
jurisdiction, and providing for 
the regular administration of 
justice by state functionaries. 
It also settled the principles 
of procedure in the courts thus 
established. 

Etas. 

The outcasts in old Japan. 
They exercised all the most 
degrading trades, acting as 
scavengers, butchers, tanners, 
executioners, etc. They are 
supposed by some authorities 
to be descendants of Korean 
prisoners of war. 
Etcetera Oath. 

An oath imposed upon the 
English clergy by the Canons of 
1640, to the effect that they 
would never consent to any 
alteration in the government 
of the Church of England, by 
Archbishops, Deans, Archdea- 
cons, etcetera. 
Ethel. 

In early Anglo-Saxon times 
land held on the original allot- 
ment made at the time of the 
Saxon invasion, as opposed to 
Bocland, land held by grant or 
charter. 

Etruria, Kingdom of. 

The Grand Duchy of Tuscany 
was thus re-named, on passing 



I 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 89 



to the Duke of Parma under 
the provisions of the Treaty of 
Luneville in 1801. 

Eureka Stockade. 

A stockade erected and de- 
fended by the Ballarat miners 
under Peter Lalor in 1854. The 
stockade was taken by the 
Government troops, and the 
outbreak quickly suppressed, 
but it resulted in the appoint- 
ment of a commission to 
inquire into the miners' griev- 
ances, which reported largely 
in their favour in the course of 
the following year. 

European Association. 

A society of foreign political 
refugees, formed in London in 
1855 to promote the Republican 
movement on the Continent. 
Its founders were Mazzini, Kos- 
suth, and Ledru-Rollin. 

Ever Victorious Army. 

The name given to the army 
which finally overpowered the 
Taeping rebels in 1865 under 
General Gordon. 

Evil May-day. 

May I, 1 5 17, the date of a 
serious outbreak of the London 
apprentices, when grave out- 
rages were perpetrated on for- 
eigners and others. 

Evora, Convention of. 

A convention putting an end 
to the civil war in Portugal, 
signed in 1834, by which the 
Pretender, Don Miguel, re- 
nounced the throne, and agreed 
to leave Portugal. 

Excelsior State. 

A name given to the State 
of New York, from its motto, 
" Excelsior." 

Exchequer. 

A court formed out of the 



Curia Regis to deal with ques- 
tions of finance. It was estab- 
lished by Roger of Salisbury, 
in the reign of Henry I. 

Exclusion Bill. 

A Bill introduced into Parlia- 
ment in 1679, providing for the 
exclusion of James, Duke of 
York, from the succession. The 
bill failed to pass, but was 
reintroduced in 1681. After it 
had been read a first time 
Charles II dissolved Parhament, 
and did not summon another 
during his reign. 

Executors. 

See Sixteen, Council of. 

Exsurge Domine, Bull. 

The Bull issued by Leo X in 
1520, " against the errors of 
Martin Luther." It was pub- 
licly burnt by Luther in the 
market place of Wittemburg. 



F. F. Vs. 

The First Families of Virginia. 
The name given to the descend- 
ants of the adventurers who 
colonized Virginia under the 
Charter of 1606. 

Fabius, The American. 

George Washington was so 
called. 

Factory Acts. 

A series of Acts providing for 
the inspection and regulation 
of factories in Great Britain. 
The first Act dealing with this 
question was the Cotton Indus- 
try Act of 1 83 1, and further 
legislation took place in 1834, 
1844, 1850, 1864, 1867, 1870. 
and 1874, some of these Acts 
relating to factories as a whole, 
and others to particular trades. 
The most important enactment. 



90 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



however, is that of 1878, which 
deals with factories and work- 
shops of all kinds, as well as 
with domestic workshops. Regu- 
lations are made limiting the 
hours of employment of women, 
young persons, and children, 
forbidding the carrying on of 
certain trades by women, and 
providing for systematic inspec- 
tion by Government officials. 

Faggot Votes. 

Votes manufactured, chiefly in 
country districts, by the creation 
of small freeholders. The sale 
of land to accomplish this was 
often merely nominal, no money 
passing, and the vendor lending 
the purchase money under 
mortgage. 

Fair Maid of Kent. 

The sobriquet of Joan, Count- 
ess of Salisbury, the wife of 
Edward the Black Prince. 

Fair Quakeress. 

Hannah Lightfoot, whom 
George III married in 1759, 
the year before he ascended 
the throne. The marriage was, 
of course, not recognized. 

Fair Rosamond. 

The daughter of Lord Clifford 
and mistress of Henry II of 
England. 

Falaise, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Henry II 
of England and William the 
Lyon of Scotland, signed in 
1 174. William, who had been 
captured by the English and 
carried off to Normandy, agreed, 
as the price of his liberty, to 
acknowledge Henry's suzerainty 
and do homage for his 
crown. The right was, however, 
surrendered by Richard Cceur 
de Lion in 1189, in exchange 



for a payment of 10,000 marks. 

Falczi, Treaty of. 

See Pruth. 

Falieri, Conspiracy of Marino. 
A plot, headed by Falieri, 
the Doge of Venice, to over- 
throw the Government of the 
Republic. The conspiracy was 
discovered, and Falieri was 
beheaded within the walls of 
the Ducal Palace in 1355. 

Falk Laws. 

A series of laws introduced 
by Dr. Falk, Prussian Minister 
of Public Worship, between 
1872 and 1879, in pursuance of 
the Kulturkampf. They were 
exceedingly oppressive to the 
Catholic population. The 
more important of them were 
passed in the month of May, 
1873, whence they are also 
known as the May laws. 

Family Compact. 

A secret agreement, made in 
^733, between Louis XV of 
France and Philip V of Spain, 
the object of which was the 
harassing of English commerce 
in the South Seas, and the re 
covery by Spain of Gibraltar 
and Minorca. It culminated 
in 1 76 1 in a close alliance be- 
tween the two Powers, to which 
the Bourbon Princes of Parma 
and Naples were also admitted. 

Family Convention. 

An agreement between Gio- 
vanni de' Medici and Philip V 
of Spain, in 173 1, by which the 
former recognized Don Carlos 
as his heir to the Grand Duchy 
of Tuscany. 

Farines, Journee des. 

The day of the Cornsacks 
was January 3, 1591, when 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 91 



some of the followers of Henri IV 
of France disguised themselves 
as millers, and attempted to 
seize the barrier of St. Honore, 
with the object of making 
themselves masters of Paris. 

Farmer George. 

A nickname of George III. 

Farmers' Alliance. 

A political organization 
formed in the United States 
in 1873 to promote the interests 
of the agricultural classes. It 
was absorbed by the Populists 



Farquharsons, Massacre of the. 
The Farquharsons of Deeside 
were practically exterminated 
in the reign of James VI by 
the Gordons under the Marquis 
of Huntly, in revenge for the 
murder of Gordon of Brackley. 
Two hundred children who sur- 
vived the massacre were kept 
by Huntly as wild beasts, and 
fed from a pig trough. They 
were rescued from their in- 
human captor by the Laird of 
Grant, who distributed them 
among his clansmen. It is said 
that their descendants are still 
known as the Race of the 
Trough. 

Farthings, War of. 
See Rappenkrieg. 

Fashoda Question. 

This question brought France 
and England to the verge of 
war in 189S. In that year. 
Captain Marchand, after an 
adventurous journey from the 
French Soudan, reached Fash 
oda on the Nile, and hoisted the 
French fl.ag there and at certain 
points on the Sobat river. Sir 
Herbert Kitchener, who had 
just captured Khartoum, in- 



vited Marchand to mthdraw, 
and hoisted the English and 
Eg5rptian flags. Marchand 

refusing, the matter was re- 
ferred to London and Paris. 
The French were at first in- 
clined to hold that, the Anglo- 
Egyptian occupation of the 
Soudan having been suspended 
by the Mahdist domination, it 
was open to them to make a 
settlement on the Nile. It was 
clearly proved, however, that 
they had been warned on several 
occasions that this would not 
be permitted, and after some 
hesitation, due probably to the 
doubt as to whether they would 
have the support of Russia if 
they stood firm, they yielded, 
and the Marchand expedition 
was withdrawn. 

Father of America. 

The sobriquet of Samuel 
Adams, the American revolu- 
tionary leader (i 722-1 803.) 

Father of his Country. 

This title has been bestow^ed 
upon several patriots in ancient 
and modern history, among 
others Cosmo de' Medici of 
Florence (i 389-1464), Andrea 
Doria, the Genoese Admiral 
(1468-1560), and George Wash- 
ington (1732-1799)- 

Father of his People. 

A title bestowed on Louis XII 
of France (1498-1515), and on 
Christian III of Denmark 
(1533-1559). 
Featherheads. 

See Half-breeds. 

Federal Council of the Aus- 
tralian Colonies. 
A Council formed in accord- 
ance with the provisions of the 
Imperial Federation Enabling 



92 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Act of 1855, by delegates from 
Victoria, Queensland, South 
and Western Australia, and 
Tasmania, which met at Ho- 
bart in January, 1886, under 
the presidency of James Ser- 
vice. The non-adhesion of 
New South Wales, however, 
was fatal to the scheme. 

Federal Pact. 

A Swiss Constitution, evolved 
by the " Long Diet " of Zurich, 
and approved by the Powers at 
the Congress of Vienna in 181 5, 

Federalistas. 

The party in Mexico who 
favour a large measure of 
autonomy in the separate states, 
and oppose excessive centraliza- 
tion of authority in the central 
government. 

Federalists. 

A party, in the early days of 
American independence, who 
favoured the concentration of 
power in the hands of the 
central government, while their 
opponents, known as Anti- 
federalists, and later as Demo- 
crats, were supporters of the 
rights of individual states. 

Federes. 

A band of young Marseillais, 
who, under the leadership of 
Barbaroux, marched to Paris 
in 1792 to aid the Revolution. 

Fehden. 

In mediaeval Germany, the 
private wars between the semi- 
independent barons and knights 
were known by this name. 

Fellaheen. 

The peasants of Egypt. The 
word signifies " tillers." 

Fenian Association. 

An Irish revolutionary society, 
estabhshed about 1858. During 



the American Civil War, it 
became an organized institution, 
with headquarters in New York, 
with the avowed object of 
fomenting disturbances in Ire- 
land, and making the Govern- 
ment of that country by 
England impossible. Its leader 
was James Stephens. In 1866 
the Fenians attempted a raid 
into Canada, which was entirely 
unsuccessful. In 1867 a general 
rising m Ireland was planned, 
which also failed. Two further 
unsuccessful attempts upon 
Canada took place in 1870 and 
1 87 1, from which point its 
activity was confined to a few 
isolated outrages of small im- 
portance. The name Fenian 
is taken from the old Irish 
Militia, which was known as 
Fionna Eirinn. 

Feormfultum. 

In Anglo-Saxon times a 
tax levied on the land for the 
support of the royal household. 
It was paid in kind. 

Ferdinand, Treaty of. 

See Christian Alliance. 

Ferm. 

In Anglo-Saxon and early 
feudal times, a rent paid by the 
shires on public lands and royal 
domains. 

Fermiers Generaux. 

Persons, generally royal fa- 
vourites, who obtained the 
right of collecting the taxes, 
by payment of a fixed sum. 
This system was initiated in 
France in 1546 by Francis I, 
who farmed out the Gabelle, 
and continued until the Revo- 
lution. 

Feudal System. 

A system of land tenure 
general on the continent of 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 93 



Europe, becoming universal in 
France in the tenth century, 
while it was introduced into 
England at the time of the 
Norman Conquest. The king 
as lord paramount was the 
owner of the whole country, 
which was held in fief, or 
vassalage, by the great terri- 
torial lords, who owed him 
homage and service, military or 
other. They in turn had vas- 
sals of lesser degree, bound to 
them by similar ties, but, subject 
to the due discharge of such 
service, perfectly free. By the 
growth of " subinfeudation " 
this system became indefinitely 
extended. -^ >^^ 

Feuillants. 

A club formed in 1791, during 
the French Revolution, by the 
monarchical majority of the 
Jacobin Club, who objected to 
the principles and language of 
the minority. Their impolitic 
action in seceding from the 
Jacobins rendered the extreme 
revolutionists masters of the 
situation, owing to the enormous 
influence of the name Jacobin 
throughout France. 

Fief. 

In feudal times land held by a 
vassal by military service or 
other feudal tenure. 

Field Cornet. 

An officer charged, under the 
Landdrost, with the superin- 
tendence of military matters in 
the South African States. See 
Commando. 

Field of Lies. 

See Liigenfeld. 

Field of Mourning. 

The battlefield of Fraga, in 
Spain, where fell, in 11 34, 
Alfonso I of Aragon, f;ur named 



the Warrior, and famed for his 
successes against the Moors, 
whom he expelled from the 
valley of the Ebro. 

Field of the Cloth of Gold. 

The meeting place of Henry 
VIII and Francis I, between 
Guines and Ardres. This meet- 
ing, which took place in 1520, 
was arranged by Francis with 
the object of securing the 
friendship of Henry, and de- 
taching him from the Spanish 
alliance. A marriage was 
agreed upon between the Dau- 
phin and Princess Mary of 
England, but within a very few 
weeks Henry went back on his 
word, and gave Charles V an 
undertaking that he would pro- 
ceed no further in the matter. 

Fieschi Conspiracy. 

An unsuccessful conspiracy 
to overthrow the Doge, Doria, 
and the French party in Genoa 
in 1547. 

Fieschi' s Plot. 

A plot to assassinate Louis 
Philippe in July, 1835. A 
machine composed of twenty- 
four gun-barrels was fired from 
an upper window at the Royal 
cortSge, as the king was on his 
way to a review. The king 
was unhurt, but several pro- 
minent persons, including Mar- 
shal Mortier, were killed, Fieschi 
and his accompUces were caught 
red-handed. 

Fifteen, Council of. 

A council of state appointed 
by the Barons of the Mad 
Parliament in 1258 to carry on 
the Government. The Fifteen 
produced the Provisions of Ox- 
ford, under which the kingdom 
was governed until the Mise of 
Amiens in 1264. 



< 



(iMtr-^cit^lJL 



94 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Fifteen, Rebellion of the. 

The Jacobite rebellion in 
Scotland in 1815, under the 
Earl of Mar. The rebels suc- 
ceeded in penetrating into 
iCngland, but were defeated at 
Preston, and shortly afterwards 
Mar was defeated at Sheriff- 
muir. With little further fight- 
ing the rebel army was broken 
up, and the Pretender retired 
to France. Lords Derwent- 
water and Kenmure and many 
other less important personages 
were executed for complicity in 
the rebellion. 

Fifth Monarchy Men. 

A sect of fanatics who formed 
an important element in the 
Cromwellian armies. They 
considered the Protectorate to 
be the Fifth Monarchy prophe- 
sied in the Apocalypse, during 
which the millennium would 
come upon the earth. 

Fiftieth Ordinance. 

An ordinance of the Cape 
Government in 1828, by which 
Hottentots and other free na- 
tives were relieved from all the 
restrictions of the pass law, and 
put upon a political equality 
with the whites. This was very 
distasteful to the Dutch settlers. 

Fifty-one, Committee of. 

A committee of merchants 
and gentry in New York, formed 
in 1774. They were in favour 
of a General Congress, but 
opposed to the non-intercourse 
policy advocated by some other 
colonies, and especially in Mas- 
sachusetts. 

Fighting Prelate. 

Henry Spencer, Bishop of 
Norwich, who led the troops 
against Wat Tyler in 1381, was 
so called. 



Financial Relations Committee. 
A committee appointed in 
1895 to report on the financial 
relations between England and 
Ireland. In the following year, 
a majority report was issued in 
which it was stated that the 
Act of Union had laid too 
heavy a financial burden on 
Ireland ; that the increase in 
the Irish contribution sanc- 
tioned in 1853 and in i860 was 
unjustifiable; and that Ireland's 
tax revenue was one-eleventh, 
whereas it should only be one- 
twentieth of that of England. 

Fines, Statute of. 

A statute passed in the 
4thyearof Henry VII, re-enacted 
almost verbatim from a statute 
of Richard III, the object of 
which was to prevent the mul- 
tiplication in the courts of 
suits for the recovery of lands. 
The method adopted was to fix 
at five years the period of oc- 
cupation giving prescriptive 
rights. 

Fire of London. 

A fire which broke out on 
September 2, 1660, at a house 
in Fish Street Hill. It burnt 
for four days and destroyed 
eighty-nine churches, including 
St. Paul's, and over 13,000 
houses. 

Firebrand of France. 

The sobriquet of John, Duke 
of Bedford, Regent of France 
(1390-1435). 

Firebrand of the Universe. 

Tamerlane, the great Tartar 
conqueror, was so called. 

Fire-Eaters. 

The extreme supporters of 
Slavery and States' Rights in 
the Southern States of America 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 95 



were so called by their political 
opponents before the Civil War. 

Firman. 

An official edict of the Porte, 
issued in the Sultan's name, 
though not necessarily bearing 
his signature. 

First Charter. 

A charter issued by Henry I, 
in 1 100, by which he re-estab- 
lished the law of King Edward, 
that is to say the old institutions 
of the country prior to the 
Conquest. He further under- 
took to make only such claims 
upon his feudatories as were in 
accordance with feudal law, 
and made the same course 
obligatory on them in relation 
to their vassals. He also recog- 
nized the right of bequeathing 
property by will. 

First Gentleman of Europe. 

George IV, when Prince Re 
gent, was so called. 

Fisheries Treaty, 1888. 

A treaty between Great Bri- 
tain and the United States, 
signed in 1888, providing for 
reciprocal fishing rights for the 
Canadian and American fisher- 
men. Pending ratification a 
modus Vivendi was estab- 
lished, by which American 
fishermen could fish in Canadian 
and Newfoundland waters on 
payment of a license of $1.50 
per ton. The Senate, however, 
declined to ratify the treaty. 

Five Articles of Perth. 

A document embodying cer- 
tain changes in ritual, in the 
direction of Episcopalianism, 
forced upon the Scotch Pres- 
byterians by James I in 1621. 
They excited great discontent, 
but remained in force until 1638. 



Five Boroughs. 

A confederation, under Danish 
law, of the five tribes which 
occupied the ancient Anglo- 
Saxon kingdom of Mercia. The 
five boroughs were Derby, Lin- 
coln, Leicester, Stamford and 
Nottingham. The confederacy 
was broken up in 910 by ^thel- 
flaed, the Lady of the Mercians. 

Five Hundred, Council of. 

The name given to the Lower 
House of Assembly under the 
Direct oire in France (1795- 
1799)- 
Five Kings of France. 

The name applied to the five 
men composing the French 
Directoire (1795-1799). 
Five Members. 

Pym, Hampden, Haselrig, 
Strode and Holies, five members 
of the Long Parliament, who 
were specially active in their 
opposition to the king's illegal 
actions. Charles attempted to 
arrest them in the House of 
Commons in 1642, but they 
escaped to the City, and Charles 
was unable to seize them, in the 
face of the support accorded to 
them by the citizens. 

Five Mile Act. 

An Act passed in 1665, for- 
bidding any clergyman who 
had not subscribed to the Act 
of Uniformity to teach, or to 
come within five miles of a 
borough or corporate town. A 
similar Act, known as the Mile 
Act, had been passed in Scotland 
three years earlier. 

Five Nations. 

The five tribes of Red Indians 
who formerly ranged the east 
coast of America, along the 
Hudson, and as far south as the 
Delaware. They were always 



g6 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



on the English side in the wars 
with France. They were the 
Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, 
Cajnigas and Senecas. The 
remnants of these tribes are now 
domiciled in Canada. 

Flagellants. 

A sect which appeared in 
Hungary during the Great 
Plague of 1348, They looked 
upon scourging as the only 
means of avoiding the divine 
punishment for sin. 

Flammock's Rebellion. 

A rising in Cornwall, headed 
by Thomas Flammock in 1497, 
in opposition to the tax levied 
for the maintenance of the 
war against Scotland. The re- 
bels were defeated at Black- 
heath, and Flammock and 
others executed. 

Fleet Marriages. 

Marriages celebrated within 
the precincts of the Fleet 
Prison by clergymen of indif- 
ferent character. They were 
rendered impossible by Lord 
Hardwicke's Act in 1753. 

Flibustiers. 

See Buccaneers. 

Flood's Reform Bill. 

A sweeping measure of reform 
introduced into the Irish Par- 
liament by Flood in 1784. It 
gave rise to scenes of the wildest 
disorder, both in the House and 
throughout the country. 

Flower of Chivalry. 

Sir Philip Sidney (i 554-1 586) 
was so called. 

Flowery Land, Mutiny of the. 

A mutiny on board an 
English vessel on a voyage to 
Singapore in 1684, the crew, 
composed of various nation- 



alities, murdering the captain 
and first mate. The second mate, 
who was spared to navigate the 
vessel, was able to give inform- 
ation which led to the arrest of 
most of the crew, five of whom 
were hanged in due course. 

Folcland. 

In early Saxon times all the 
land which was not partitioned 
off into homesteads, or spe- 
cially granted, remained the 
property of the nation, and was 
known as folcland. In the 
times of the later Saxon kings, 
the folcland became royal de- 
mesne, and after the Conquest 
William seized it as crown 
property. 

Folenbray. 

A treaty between Henri IV 
of France and the Due de 
Mayenne, by which the League 
came to an end. 

Folkething. 

See Rigsdag. 

Folkmote. 

In early Saxon times the 
gathering of the tribe in arms 
was so called. 

Fommanah, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Great Bri- 
tain and the King of Ashanti, 
signed after the first Ashanti 
War in 1874. The king re- 
nounced the right to exact 
tribute from the kings of Den- 
kera and Adansi, other native 
chiefs, and also his supremacy 
over Elmira. He agreed to 
offer no obstacle to British 
trade, to maintain an open road 
to Kumasi, and to abolish 
human sacrifices. Prempeh's 
failure to adhere to the terms 
of this treaty led to the second 
Ashanti expedition in 1900. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 97 



Fontainebleau, Decree of. 

A decree issued by Napoleon 
in October, 18 10, ordering all 
British merchandise found in 
France, Germany, Italy, Spain 
and other places in the occu- 
pation of the French troops to 
be destroyed. 

Fontainebleau, Treaty of, 1807. 

A treaty, disclosed in the 
autumn of 1807, between Napo- 
leon and Godoy, the Minister 
of Charles IV, and the de facto 
ruler of Spain. It provided for 
the joint occupation of Portugal 
by France and Spain, and the 
dismemberment of that country, 
Godoy receiving as his reward 
the provinces of Alemtejo and 
the Algarves to be erected into 
a principality, and the northern 
province to be given to the 
King of Etruria, in exchange for 
Tuscany, which would pass to 
Napoleon. 

Fontainebleau, Treaty of, 18 14. 
A treaty between Napoleon 
and the Allied Powers, signed 
April 14, 1 8 14, after the occu- 
pation of Paris. Napoleon sur- 
rendered all claims to the 
thrones of France and Italy, 
and received in return the 
sovereignty of Elba for him- 
self, and Parma and Piacenza 
for the Empress and the King of 
Rome. 

Foraker Act. 

An Act of Congress, passed in 
1900, estabhshing local self- 
government in Porto Rico, and 
creating a tariff. In 1901 the 
tariff provisions were repealed, 
and free trade with the United 
States instituted. 

Force Act. 

An Act of Congress passed in 
1 870, giving the Federal author- 



ities the right to intervene in 
certain contingencies in the 
police and other internal ar- 
rangements of individual States. 
This Act was rendered necessary 
by the covert support given by 
the authorities of the Southern 
States to such organizations as 
the Ku-Klux Klan. A similar 
Act was passed in 1871. 

Force Bill. 

The popular name for the 
bill introduced by Mr. Lodge 
in Congress, in 1890, for the 
reform of the electoral law 
of the United States. The bill 
did not pass the Senate. 

Foreign Enlistment Act. 

An Act passed in 18 19, mak- 
ing it a misdemeanour for a 
British subject to enlist in the 
service of a foreign power at 
war with a nation friendly to 
Greatt Britain, or to build or 
equip any ship for the service 
of such power. 

Forests, Charter of. 

A charter granted by Henry 
III in 1 2 17, when renemng 
Magna Charta, mitigating the 
severity of the Forest laws of 
the Anglo-Norman kings. 

Formosan Expedition. 

An expedition sent to For- 
mosa by Japan in 1873-4, to 
exact reparation for the murder 
of a ship's crew from the Loo 
Choo Islands. China was highly 
incensed, and war between the 
two nations was imminent, but 
Sir Thomas Wade persuaded 
the Chinese to pay an indem- 
nity and recognize Japanese 
sovereignty over the Loo Choo 
Islands. 

Forty-five, Rebellion of the. 
The second Jacobite rebel- 

H 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



lion, in 1845, under the Young 
Pretender, Prince Charles Ed- 
ward. Joined by many of the 
Highland clans, he succeeded 
in defeating the English under 
Cope at Preston Pans, and 
penetrated into England as far 
as Derby, but was forced to 
retreat, and was finally dis- 
astrously defeated by the Duke 
of Cumberland at CuUoden. 
Charles Edward escaped to 
France, but many of his leading 
supporters were captured and 
executed. 

Forty-niners. 

See Argonauts. 

Forty-two Articles. 

The articles of the Reformed 
Church of England, as issued 
originally in 1552, were forty- 
two in number. They were 
afterwards reduced, by the 
omission of three, to thirty- 
nine, which remain binding to- 
day. 

Forwards, Marshal. 

A nickname given to Blucher 
during the campaign of 181 3. 

Fouage. 

A tax on chimneys imposed 
by the Black Prince in Gascony. 

Four Burghs, Court of the. 

In early Scottish history a 
court established for the pur- 
pose of dealing with all cases in 
which the Scottish Burghs were 
concerned. 

Fourierism. 

A system of communism de- 
vised by Charles Fourier, the 
French Socialist, in 1832. The 
proposal was to form commu- 
nities of 1,800 persons each, 
known as phalanges, to be 
united under a central govern- 
ment. The gains of each pha- 



were to be held in com- 
mon. An attempt to establish 
the system near Versailles was 
completely unsuccessful. 

Fourth Party. 

A small but active body of 
free-lances of the Conservative 
party, which was formed under 
Lord Randolph Churchill during 
the session of 1880. Though 
various Conservative members 
acted with it from time to time, 
the party is generally con- 
sidered to have consisted of 
four persons. Lord Randolph 
Churchill, Mr. (afterwards Sir 
John) Gorst, Sir H. Drummond 
Wolff and Mr. Arthur Balfour. 

Francfief. 

A tax on commoners who 
became possessed of fiefs, to 
compensate for their inability 
to render military service. It 
was imposed by Louis IX of 
France in 1260, and abolished 
by his successor, Philip III. 

Franchise Act. 

An Act passed in 1884, assi- 
milating the county to the 
borough franchise, and giving 
the vote to residents in a house 
who are neither occupiers nor 
lodgers (known as the Service 
Franchise) under certain res- 
trictions. In the House of 
Lords, Lord Cairns carried an 
amendment that the Act should 
not become operative until a 
Redistribution Bill had been 
passed. 

Franciscans. 

An order of mendicant friars, 
founded by St. Francis d'Assisi, 
and authorized by Innocent II 
in 121 5. They were not con- 
fined to monasteries, like the 
earlier orders, but worked 
amongst the poor, and took 




DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 99 



themselves a vow of poverty 
in addition to the ordinary- 
monastic vows. 

Franco-American Treaty, 1778. 

A treaty by which France 
recognized the independence of 
the United States. Both par- 
ties agreed to give each other 
most-favoured-nation treatment 
in tariff matters, while America 
accepted the French interpreta- 
tion of the treaties of Utrecht 
and Paris with respect to the 
Newfoundland fishery question, 
thus admitting the right of 
France not only to the fishing, 
but to the use of one half of the 
shore for drying stations. France 
further agreed to recognize any 
conquests made by the United 
States from England in the 
course of the war. 

Franco- Annamese Treaty, 1874. 
A treaty between France and 
Annam, by which Annam re- 
cognized the French sover- 
eignty of Lower Cochin China, 
and granted free navigation of 
the Red River. 

Franco-Siamese Treaty, 1893. 

By this instrument Siam 
ceded to France all her territory 
on the east of the Mekong, and 
agreed to keep no fortified place 
within fifteen miles of the river 
on the west bank. France was 
to occupy Chantaboon until the 
conditions were fulfilled. 

Franco-Siamese Treaty, 1902. 

By this treaty Siam made 
further territorial concessions to 
France, ceding practically all 
the territory ever held by 
Annam or Tonquin. She also 
conceded to France the right to 
protect Siamese subjects of 
Annamese or Tonquinese ex- 
traction, and undertook to open 

iLorC. 



a certain number of official 
posts to Frenchmen. France 
agreed to evacuate Chantaboon. 

Francs- Archers. 

A militia raised for the first 
time by Charles VII of France 
in 1448. Each parish was or- 
dered to provide and equip one 
man, who, in return for his 
military service, was freed from 
all taxation. 

Francs-Tireurs. 

French peasants who took 
up arms during the Franco- 
German war of 1870, and car- 
ried on a species of guerilla 
warfare against the German 
troops. In the early part of the 
war they were treated as bri- 
gands, and shot when captured. 
Later they were organized by the 
French authorities, and were 
then treated as belligerents. 

Frankfort, Confederacy of. 

A league composed of the 
Emperor, the Kings of Prussia 
and Sweden, the Elector Pala- 
tine and the Landgrave of 
Hesse, formed in 1744 with the 
object of forcing Maria Theresa 
to acknowledge Charles VII as 
Emperor. 

Frankfort, General Treaty of. 

A treaty signed by Austria, 
Great Britain, Prussia and 
Russia, confirming the various 
territorial changes effected by 
the Treaties of Paris and Vienna 
of 1815. 

Frankfort, Treaty of. 

The treaty embodying the 
terms agreed upon at Versailles 
by Prince Bismarck and M. 
Thiers, after the surrender of 
Paris in 1 87 1. It provided for 
the cession to Germany of 
Alsace, including Strasburg, but 



lOo DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



not including Belfort, and of a 
part of Lorraine, including Metz, 
together with the payment of 
a war indemnity of five mil- 
liards of francs, or two hundred 
millions sterling. 

Frankfurter Attentat. 

A rising of students and 
others at Frankfort-on-the- 
Main in 1833, occasioned by the 
oppressive measures adopted by 
the Bundesrath towards the 
Press. The outbreak was 
promptly quelled. 

Frankpledge. 

A system existing in the early 
Norman, and probably the later 
Saxon period, by which the 
whole of the free population 
of England was divided into 
groups of ten men, mutually 
responsible for the other 
members of the group. It 
was by this means that the 
policing of the country was 
carried out, under the super- 
vision of the Hundred Court, 
It was also called Frithbohr. 

Fraternity, Edict of. 

An edict issued by the French 
Convention in 1792, offering 
fraternity to all nations ready 
to welcome liberal institutions. 

Frederic, Code. 

See Landrecht. 

Frederickshamm, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Russia and 
Sweden, signed in 1809, shortly 
after the death of Gustavus IV, 
by which Russia acquired Fin- 
land as far as the Tornea. 

Free Church of Scotland. 

A secession from the Estab- 
lished Church of Scotland, 
which took place under Dr. 
Chalmers in 1843. About 500 
ministers seceded with him. 



The points at issue were State 
Control and Lay Patronage, 
to which Dr. Chalmers and his 
followers objected. 

Free Companies. 

The Mercenaries employed 
by both French and English 
during the Hundred Years' War. 
After the Peace of Bretigny 
they were disbanded, and being 
without employment, formed 
bands under their own leaders, 
and committed frightful ravages 
in France, and, later, in Italy. 

Free Imperial Cities. 

Certain towns in Germany, 
owing allegiance to no sovereign 
prince, excepting only to the 
Emperor. They exercised so- 
vereign powers within their own 
limits, and sent representatives 
to the Diet. In 1790 they were 
fifty-one in number. The three 
last cities to retain their privi- 
leges were Liibeck, Bremen and 
Hamburg, which in 1871 be- 
came an integral part of the 
German Empire, 

Free Selection. 

A scheme for settling small 
farmers on portions of the 
large holdings of the Squatters, 
or Pastoralists, in Australia. 
This system was first introduced 
in New South Wales, in 1861, 
and was adopted in Victoria in 
the following year. Intending 
settlers could take up, in the 
districts set apart for the 
purpose, from 40 to 240 acres, 
paying £1 per acre, or if they 
preferred, los. down and the 
balance by annual instalments 
of 2s, 6d. Many of those who 
took advantage of this offer, 
proved however to be mere 
dummies, put up by the squat- 
ters, who thus obtained land 




DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS loi 



more cheaply than they could 
purchase from the Government. 
Amending bills were conse- 
quently introduced to prevent 
these evasions. 

Freesoilers. 

A party formed in the United 
States in 1848 to resist the 
extension of slavery to the 
Territories. They were ab- 
sorbed into the Republican 
party in 1856. 

Freestone State. 

A popular name for the State 
of Connecticut, owing to the 
large number of freestone quar- 
ries within its borders. 

Free Trade, Apostle of. 

The name given to Richard 
Cobden, the leader of the Man- 
chester School. It is also occa- 
sionally applied to John Bright. 

Free Trade. 

The principle of the free 
interchange of commodities was 
first advocated by Adam Smith 
in his Wealth of Nations, in 
1776. It may be said to have 
first become a question of prac- 
tical politics in 1846, thanks to 
the advocacy of Richard Cobden 
and the Manchester School. 

Freischoffe. 

The initiated members of the 
Vehmgerichte. 

Freigraffen. 

The officers of the Vehm- 
gerichte. 

Freisinnige. 

A party in the German Reich- 
stag, formed under Richter in 
1884, by a coalition of the 
advanced Radicals with sece- 
ders from the National Liberals. 
Their programme was distinctly 
I Ridic'il. 



French Fury. 

A treacherous attempt to 
sack Antwerp by the French 
under the Due d'Anjou in 1583. 
Though taken by surprise, the 
citizens promptly obeyed the 
call to arms, and the French, 
after severe fighting, were driven 
out with heavy loss. 

French Shore. 

A question still (1903) pend- 
ing between Great Britain and 
France. By the Treaty of 
Utrecht, 17 13, Newfoundland 
was declared English, but the 
French were suffered to retain 
their fishery rights and the use 
of a certain portion of the coast 
for drying stations. France has 
for many years sought to give 
a very wide interpretation to 
this use of the Newfoundland 
coast, claiming almost sovereign 
rights, which seriously interferg 
with the railway and minine 
development of the colony. A 
modus Vivendi has been arrived 
at, pending final settlement, 
but the long delay in coming 
to an agreement has caused 
much irritation in Newfound- 
land. 

Frerage. 

The system by which in 
French feudal times provision 
was made for the younger 
members of a family. The 
land passed to the eldest son, 
who retained a portion of it, 
and passed the rest on to his 
brothers, who did homage for it. 
Frerage was similar in its 
form and in its results to subin- 
feudation. 

Friends of Ireland. 

The title under which the 
Catholic Association was recon- 
stituted by O'Connell in 1830. 
It was declared illegal, where- 



I02 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



upon it reappeared in a new 
form as the Society of Irish 
Volunteers. 

Friends of the People. 

A society formed in 1792 
to agitate for the removal of 
the existing inequalities in re- 
presentation. It numbered 
among its members many lead- 
ing Whig politicians, amongst 
others Russell, Sheridan, Ers- 
kine and Grey. 

Frithbohr. 

See Frankpledge. 

Frith-guilds. 

Societies formed in the towns, 
on conditions of mutual res- 
ponsibility somewhat analogous 
to the Frankpledge, in the early 
Plantagenet times. They after- 
wards combined, forming the 
powerful merchant guilds 
which eventually came to con- 
trol not only the conditions of 
labour, but the selling price of 
the commodities in which they 
dealt. 

Fronde. 

A revolt of the Parlement 
and citizens of Paris, under the 
leadership of the Cardinal de 
Retz, against the unrestrained 
autocracy of Louis XIV. The 
court was forced to leave Paris 
in 1648, but the first outbreak 
was ended during the year 
following by an arrangement 
called the Treaty of Ruel. It 
was finally suppressed in 1652. 
The contention of the Fronde 
was that the king's prerogative 
should only be exercised within 
the limits of the law, and should 
not be above the law, as was 
claimed by the king. 

Frostathing's Law. 

One of the codes of law of the 



Norsemen. It was codified by 
Hakon the Good, King of Den- 
mark (934-960) but was pro- 
bably in existence at a much 
earlier date. 

Fudai. 

The vassal Daimios or nobles 
of the Shogun, in old Japan. 

Fuero. 

The charter granted to a 
Spanish town in the Middle 
Ages. The earliest known 
Fuero is that of Leon, granted 
by Alfonso V in 1020. 

Fuero Juzgo. 

The code of laws of the 
Gothic kings of Spain. 

Fugitive Slave Circular. 

A circular issued by the 
Admiralty in 1876, which gave 
instructions to the captains of 
H.M. ships as to the treatment 
of slaves who took refuge on 
board in the territorial waters 
of slave-holding states. These 
instructions were held to be 
inconsistent with the principle 
that there could be no slavery 
under the British Flag., and a 
strong feeling was aroused in 
the matter. Eventually a com- 
mittee was appointed to exam- 
ine the legal aspects of the 
question, with the result that 
a modified circular was issued. 

Fugitive Slave Law. 

A law forming part of the 
Compromise Act, passed by 
Congress in 1850, under which 
fugitive slaves could be arrested 
in the free-labour states, while 
it was made a felony under 
certain conditions to harbour 
or aid in the escape of such 
slaves. 

Fum the Fourth. 

A nickname of George IV. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 103 



Furies de la Guillotine. 

See Tricoteuses. 

Fiirstenbund. 

A league of the German 
Princes, formed under the aus- 
pices of Frederick the Great in 
1785, to uphold the Peace of 
Teschen. The cause of its 
formation was an attempt of the 
Emperor, Joseph II, to obtain 
possession of Bavaria, by ex- 
changing for it the Austrian 
Netherlands. 

Fusillades. 

The wholesale massacres in 
Lyons, after the surrender of 
that city to the Revolutionary 
troops in 1792 were so called. 



G.O.M. 

The Grand Old Man, the 
sobriquet of Mr, Gladstone. 

Gabelle. 

A tax on salt, imposed at 
various periods of French his- 
tory. Towards the latter part 
of the eighteenth century it was 
a most burdensome impost, 
and its incidence was most irre- 
gular. It was abolished in 
1791. 

Gachupin. 

The name given in Central 
and South America to Span- 
iards and Spanish partizans 
during the war of independence. 

Gadesden Purchase. 

A purchase from Mexico by 
the United States for ten million 
dollars of a large tract of land 
now included in Arizona and 
New Mexico. The purchase 
was negotiated by James Gades- 



den, while United States' Minis- 
ter to Mexico in 1853. 

Gafol-land. 

In Anglo-Saxon times folc- 
land which was let out on rent 
was so called. Gafol means 
tribute. 

Galleons, The Spanish. 

The treasure ships, which 
sailed once a year from the New 
World, bringing the tribute of 
the Colonies to Spain. They 
were frequently captured by 
the English gentlemen adven- 
turers and by the buccaneers 
during the sixteenth and seven- 
teenth centuries. 

Gallican Confession. 

The profession of faith of the 
French Reformed Church, adop- 
ted at the Synod of La Rochelle 
in 1 57 1. 

Gallowglasses. 

See Kerns. 

Gamelle. 

The nickname applied to the 
Due d'Orleans, when he ap- 
plied to be allowed to do his 
term of service as a private in 
the French Army, saying that 
he would be proud to eat his 
dinner out of the gamelle (mess 
tin) like any other Frenchman. 

Gandamak, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Great Bri- 
tain and Afghanistan in 1879. 
It was stipulated that the 
foreign affairs of Afghanistan 
should be under British control, 
and that a British Resident 
should be appointed. All Af- 
ghan territory occupied during 
the previous campaign was to 
be restored, except the Kuram, 
Pishin and Sibi valleys. Great 
Britain was to control the 
Khyber and Michni passes, and 



I04 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



to pay the Ameer an annual 
subsidy of ^60,000. Within the 
year the British Resident, Cavag- 
nari, was murdered in Cabul, 
almost certainly with the con- 
nivance of the Ameer, and the 
invasion of Afghanistan fol- 
lowed. 

Garden of England. 

This title is given to the 
counties of Kent and Worcester- 
shire. 

Garden State. 

A popular name for the State 
of Kansas. 

Garibaldini. 

A democratic party in modern 
Italy, who desire to realize 
Garibaldi's ideal of a United 
Italy under a republic. 

Garter, Order of the. 

The premier order of knight- 
hood, instituted by Edward III 
in 1344. 

Gastein, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed by Austria 
and Prussia, at the close of the 
Schleswig-Holstein War, in 1865, 
by which Schleswig was ceded 
to Prussia and Holstein to 
Austria, while the latter power 
made over to Prussia all her 
rights in the Duchy of Lauen- 
burg. 

Gauchos. 

The shepherds of |^ the Pam- 
pas, or plains in thejinterior of 
the Argentine Republic. They 
supported Ortiz de Rosas, who 
was practically dictator of that 
state from 1835 to 1852. 

Gautiers. 

Insurgent bands of peasants 
in Normandy, circ. 1580. 

Gavelkind. 

In Anglo-Saxon and early 



Norman times all estates not 
held on military tenure were 
subject to the law of Gavelkind, 
by which the inheritance was 
divided equally among the sons. 
This tenure survived the decay 
of the feudal system in Kent 
only, and where it exists, real 
estate, in case of intestacy, still 
passes to the sons in equal 
shares, instead of to the eldest. 

Gem of Normandy. 

Emma, daughter of Robert, 
Duke of Normandy, and wife 
of Ethelred II of England, and 
afterwards of Knut, was known 
by this name. 

Gemot. 

The Shire Court in Anglo- 
Saxon times. 

General Congress. 

An assembly summoned at 
Philadelphia in 1774, after the 
passing of the Boston Port Act, 
as a preliminary to a general 
revolt against English rule. 
Twelve of the thirteen colonies 
were represented, Georgia alone 
holding aloof. 

Geneva Convention. 

A convention signed at 
Geneva in 1864, by which the 
Powers bound themselves to 
observe certain regulations in 
warfare, tending to ameliorate 
the condition of the wounded. 
The Red Cross, the badge of 
the Convention, is a protection 
to all working under it, and to 
all buildings, such as hospitals, 
over which it is flown, 

Gentoo Laws. 

The digest of Hindoo and 
Mohammedan law prepared in 
Calcutta, circ. 1790, under the 
direction of Sir William Jones. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 105 



Georges' Conspiracy. 

See Pichegru. 

Geral dines. 

The clansmen of the Fitz- 
geralds of Desmond and Kil- 
dare, one of the great families 
of Norman nobles who settled 
in Ireland at the time of the 
conquest under Henry II. They 
were exceedingly turbulent, 
and during Tudor times were 
constantly intriguing with Spain, 
and rebelling against English 
rule. Their last and most 
serious rising was in 1569, when 
they held out against the royal 
troops until 1580, when the 
clan was practically broken up, 
and ceased to be a power in 
Irish politics. 

German Concordat. 

See Aschaffenburg. 

Germanada. 

An association of the people 
of Valencia directed against 
the privileges of the nobles, 
formed in 15 19, with the 
connivance of the Emperor 
Charles V. 

Germanic League. 

A league composed of the 
smaller German States, with 
portions of the dominions of 
Prussia and Austria, and the 
Free Cities, constituted at the 
Congress of Vienna in 181 5. 
Its constitution underwent con- 
siderable changes in the course 
of the risings which took place 
in various states in 1848, while 
in 1866 Prussia annexed all the 
states north of the Main. 

Germany, Unification of. 

This was accomplished at 
Versailles in 1871, when Hesse. 
Baden, Wiirtemberg, and Ba- 
varia applied to be allowed 



to enter the North German 
Confederation. At the same 
time the King of Bavaria 
invited William to assume the 
Imperial Crown, and on his 
acceptance the German Empire, 
as it at present exists, was con- 
stituted. 

Gerrymandering. 

See Jerrymandering. 

Gersamma Reginae. 

See Queen's Gold. 

Ghazi. 

A Mohammedan fanatic who 
believes that he will enjoy 
exceptional bliss in Paradise, 
if he dies in the act of killing an 
unbeliever. In Asiatic warfare, 
especially among the Afghans 
and the Afridi hill tribes, a mob 
of Ghazis usually lead the 
attack. 

Ghazi. 

A Turkish title of honour, 
signifying the Victorious, be- 
stowed upon successful generals, 
as in the cases of Osman Pacha 
and Moukhtar Pacha. 

Ghent, Convention of. 

A convention of the Nether- 
lands provinces in 1477, whereat 
the Groote Privilegie, the Magna 
Charta of Holland, was granted 
by Mary of Burgundy. 

Ghent, Pacification of. 

An agreement between the 
Estates of Holland and Zeeland 
and the Prince of Orange on the 
one side, and the Provinces of 
Brabant, Flanders, Hainault, 
Artois and others on the other, 
signed in 1576. It recognized 
the reformed religion in Holland 
and Zeeland, abolished the edicts 
of Charles V, and agreed to the 
expulsion of the Spaniards. 



io6 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Ghent, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Great 
Britain and the United States, 
signed in 1814, at the close of 
the war of 181 1. The basis of 
the treaty was the status quo 
ante. Commissioners were 
appointed to dehmit the fron- 
tiers of the United States and 
the British Colonies. Both 
parties undertook to aid each 
other in the suppression of the 
slave trade, and it was provided 
that all Indian tribes that had 
been dispossessed during the 
war should be restored to their 
lands. 

Ghibellines. 

See Guelfs. 

Giants, Battle of the. 

The battle of Marignano, 
where Francis I defeated the 
Swiss in 1515, was so called by 
Trivulzio, the French Marshal. 

Gin Act. 

An Act passed in 1736, im- 
posing a duty of 205. per gallon 
on gin sold by retail, and a 
£KiO fee for every retailer's licence. 
The Act was evaded, and though 
gin was openly sold as before, 
no duties were paid and no 
licences taken out. It was 
therefore repealed in 1743. 

Giovane Italia, La. 

See Young Italy. 

Gisors, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Henry I of 
England and Louis VI of France, 
signed in 1113, after the defeat 
of the French at Puysac, and 
the loss of Alen9on. The 
French King renounced his 
claim to suzerainty over Maine, 
Belesme and Brittany. 

Gladstone's Umbrella. 

A phrase constantly used 



during the general election of 
1885, having reference to the 
way in which Mr. Gladstone 
succeeded in uniting under his 
banner the various sections of 
the Liberal party. 

Glamorgan Treaty. 

A treaty concluded in 1644 
between the Irish Catholics 
and the Earl of Glamorgan, 
acting for Charles I. The pub- 
lished conditions were the re- 
moval of the disabilities imposed 
on the Catholics by Poyning's 
Act, a general amnesty, and a 
limitation of the period during 
which titles to land might be 
questioned. There was, however, 
a further secret treaty, granting 
the Catholics the right of public 
worship in all churches not 
occupied by the State Church, 
in return for which they agreed 
to provide 10,000 men for the 
King's army in England, to be 
paid for out of the church 
revenues, 

Glasgow Riots. 

An outbreak in Glasgow, under 
the leadership of a mechanic 
named Finlay, in opposition to 
the Act of Union with England 
in 1706. 

Glen Grey Act. 

An Act amending the regula- 
tions as to Kaffir reservations 
in Cape Colony, passed in 
1894. It provided for the 
division of the reservations 
into six-acre plots, and the 
granting of inalienable titles 
to the allottees, with succession 
to the eldest son. At the same 
time all subsidies were with- 
drawn, with the object of en- 
couraging industry among the 
Kaffirs. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 107 



Glencoe, Massacre of. 

The treacherous massacre, in 
1692, of the clansmen of 
Macdonald of Glencoe, under 
the orders of Breadalbane, a 
member of the Clan Campbell, 
the hereditary foes of theMacdon- 
alds. An appearance of legal- 
ity was given to the massacre 
b}'- the fact that Macdonald had 
delayed till the last moment 
taking the oath of allegiance to 
William and Mary, and owing 
to stress of weather did not 
actually take it till after the 
prescribed date. 

Clippers, 

The name given to the Nether- 
landers who sided with the 
Spanish King' s party, circ. 1570. 

Glorious First of June. 

The name given to the battle 
ofE Ushant, fought on June i, 
1794, in which Lord Howe 
utterly defeated the French 
fleet. 

Gold-bugs. 

The name given in the United 
States to the supporters of the 
single gold standard. 

Golden Book. 

The book containing the 
names of the noble Venetian 
families who were qualified to 
be members of the Grand 
Council. It was compiled in 
1319- 

Golden Bull (Germany). 

An edict issued in 1356 by 
the Emperor Charles IV, to 
settle certain disputes as to the 
composition of the Electoral 
College, which had led to constant 
civil strife in Germany. It 
was provided that the Electors 
should be seven in number : 
three ecclesiastical, namely, the 



Archbishops of Cologne, Treves 
and Mayence ; and four lay, 
namely, the King of Bohemia, 
the Duke of Saxony, the Count 
Palatine of the Rhine, and the 
Margrave of Brandenburg. The 
Electors became absolute mon- 
archs within their own domin- 
ions. 

Golden Bull (Hungary). 

The Hungarian Charter of 
liberties, extorted by his nobles 
from Andrew II of Hungary in 
1222. Among other concessions 
it provided for the annual 
assembling of the Diet, 

Golden Fleece, The. 

One of the oldest orders of 
chivalry, founded at Bruges 
by Philip the Good of Bur- 
gundy, in 1430. When the 
Netherlands became a Spanish 
province, the Golden Fleece 
was made a Spanish order, and, 
Charles V being also Emperor 
of Germany, it was claimed by 
his successors of the House of 
Hapsburg as an Austrian order. 
It has thus, at the present day, 
two branches, and two sover- 
eigns, namely, the King of 
Spain and the Emperor of 
Austria. 

Golden Horde. 

A Tartar kingdom founded 
in the thirteenth century by a 
grandson of Genghis Khan. 
It was the Khans of the Golden 
Horde who ruled over Russia 
during the Tartar domination. 

Golden League. 

A league of the Catholic 
States of Switzerland, formed 
in 1586, to defend the Catholic 
Faith. 

Golden State. 

The popular name for Call- 



io8 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



fornia, from its rich gold de- 
posits. 

Gomarists. 

The followers of Gomarus, 
and opponents of Arminius, 
the two professors of theology 
at Utrecht whose differences, 
in 1604, divided the Dutch 
Church, and led to the con- 
vening of the Synod of Dort 
in 161 8. Gomarus supported 
the sterner doctrine of Calvin, 
Arminius favoured a milder 
and broader form of religious 
belief. 

Good Parliament. 

A Parliament of Edward III, 
which met in 1376. It secured 
a change in the Council, and 
brought about the return to 
power of William of Wykeham 
and the clerical party. This 
Parliament is noteworthy as 
offering the first instance in 
English history of the impeach- 
ment of an officer of State : that, 
namely, of Lord Latimer, the 
Chamberlain. 

Gordon Riots. 

A dangerous outbreak of the 
London mob, led by Lord 
George Gordon, in June, 1780, 
in opposition to the various 
measures proposed for the relief 
of the Catholics. London was 
in the hands of the mob for 
four days, before the troops 
were called out and the rioters 
dispersed. 

Goshi. 

In old Japan, a class ranking 
between the Samurai and the 
agricultural class. Like the 
Samurai they were entitled to 
wear two swords. They owed 
no allegiance to feudal lords, 
but farmed their own lands. 



Gothenburg System. 

A s^T-stem of licensing which 
originated at Gothenburg in 
1865. All the houses licensed 
for the sale of alcohol are in the 
hands of a company and run 
by salaried managers. All the 
profits of the company, after 
payment of five per cent, to the 
shareholders, are paid into the 
treasury of the town. 

Gotteshausbund. 

A league of the nobles and 
communes of the Engadine, 
formed in 1367, to protect the 
liberties of the country from 
the encroachments of Austria. 

Gowrie Conspiracy. 

A conspiracy headed by the 
Earl of Gowrie and his brother, 
Alexander Ruthven, in 1600, 
to murder James VI of Scot- 
land. It is supposed that their 
motive was to avenge the death 
of their father, who had been 
executed sixteen years before, 
though both the brothers had 
been treated with the greatest 
kindness by the King. James 
was decoyed to Gowrie House, 
in Perth, on the plea of examin- 
ing a suspicious prisoner, and 
was attacked in the absence of his 
suite, and nearly overpowered. 
He managed to give the alarm, 
and was rescued by Sir James 
Ramsay, his page, and others 
of his followers. The King's 
story was at the time doubted 
by many people, but documents 
afterwards came to light prov- 
ing the existence of a plot at 
least to kidnap the King. 

Grace, Act of. 

An Act of indemnity passed 
in 1690, granting a pardon for 
all political offences committed 
up to the time of the passing 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS lOQ 



of the Act, the only exceptions 
to the general amnesty being 
such of the regicides as might 
still be living, and about thirty 
other persons, against none of 
whom, however, were any pro- 
ceedings taken. 

Grace, Act of. 

An Act passed in 1784, restor- 
ing the estates forfeited for 
high treason in 1745, to the 
descendants of their former 
owners. 

Graces. 

A number of concessions 
granted to Ireland by Lord 
Falkland in 1628, in return for 
the aids which were destined to 
relieve the embarrassed ex- 
chequer of James I. 

Gragas. 

A codification of the laws of 
the Norsemen, made by Magnus 
the Good, King of Denmark 
and Norway (1035-1047). 

Gran Capitan, El. 

Gonsalvo of Cordova, the 
famous Spanish Captain (1453- 
15 1 5), was so called. 

Gran Reunion Americana. 

A secret society formed in 
London about 1800 to aid the 
movement in the Spanish- 
American Colonies in the direc- 
tion of independence. Among 
its leaders were O'Higgins, 
Miranda and Bolivar. 

Granary of Europe. 

The Island of Sicily was 
formerly so called, owing to 
its remarkable fertility. 

Grand Alliance, 1701. 

An alliance formed in 1701 
between England, Holland, and 
the Empire, to maintain the 
balance of power, supposed to 



be threatened by the bequest 
of the Spanish Crown to a 
French Prince. It was followed 
by the war known as the War 
of the Spanish Succession. 

Grand Alliance, 18 13. 

The alliance between Great 
Britain, Prussia, Russia, Sweden 
and Austria, which led to the 
downfall of Napoleon, and his 
first abdication in the following 
year. 

Grand Corruption. 

A nickname of Sir Robert 
Walpole, in allusion to his 
constant employment of bribery 
to gain his ends. 

Grand Old Man. 

The sobriquet of Mr. Glad- 
stone, generally abbreviated 
into G.O.M. 

Grand Monarque. 

Louis XIV of France was so 
called. 

Grand Rebellion of Virginia. 

A rising of the Virginian 
colonists under Nathaniel Bacon 
in 1676, against the corruption 
of the Government and the 
excessive taxation. After a 
strenuous resistance they were 
at last overpowered by the 
Royalists, and the only result 
of the rising was that Virginia 
was deprived of her constitu- 
tion, and all the old grievances 
were revived. 

Grand Serjeanty. 

A form of tenure from the 
Crown, the condition being the 
performance of certain service, 
when called upon, such as 
acting as Chamberlain or Butler 
on occasions of state. 

Grangers. 

See Patrons of Husbandry. 



no DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Granite State. 

The State of New Hampshire 
is so called from the extent of 
the granite formation within 
its borders. 

Grattan's Parliament. 

The free Irish Parliament 
established in 1782 is known by 
this name, Grattan having led 
the agitation which brought 
about the abolition of the old 
restrictions. 

Graubund. 

See Grey League,- 

Greased Cartridges. 

The ostensible cause of the 
Sepoy Mutiny in 1857 was the 
issue to the native troops of 
cartridges for the newly issued 
Enfield rifle, which were said 
to be greased with a mixture 
of cows-fat and hogs-lard. This 
would be obnoxious to both 
the Hindoo and the Moham- 
medan Sepoys, and the story 
was used by the instigators of 
the revolt to engender the belief 
that an attempt was being made 
forcibly to convert them to 
Christianity. 

Great Commoner. 

A sobriquet of the younger 
Pitt. 

Great Contract. 

A proposed arrangement be- 
tween James I and the Parlia- 
ment in 1 6 10. James offered to 
surrender all the emoluments of 
the Crown from feudal tenures, 
excepting the aids, in return 
for which Parliament proposed 
to vote James an annual sub- 
sidy of ^100,000. The King, 
however, did not consider the 
amount sufficient, and the bar- 
gain was not concluded. 



Great Dauphin. 

Louis, the son of Louis XIV 
of France, was so called. 

Great Intercourse. 

A treaty signed in 1496 
between Henry VII and Philip 
of Burgundy, stipulating for 
free commercial intercourse 
between the dominions of the 
two sovereigns, and joint efforts 
for the suppression of piracy. 
By this treaty also Perkyn 
Warbeck was expelled from 
Burgundian territory. 

Great Session, Court of. 

The old Supreme Court of 
Wales, abolished in 183 1. 

Great Storm. 

The famous storm of Novem- 
ber 26-27, 1703, when the first 
Eddystone lighthouse was de- 
stroyed. Twelve men-of-war 
and many merchant vessels 
were wrecked on the coast, 
and over 8,000 persons drowned. 
The damage done in London is 
said to have exceeded two mil- 
lions sterling. 

Great Triad Society. 

An important secret society 
in China, supposed to be pledged 
to the expulsion of the Manchus 
and the establishment of a 
Chinese dynasty. 

Greater Bull. 

See Ausculta Fili. 

Green Bag Enquiry. 

A sealed bag of documents 
laid on the table of the House 
of Commons by the Government 
in 1 8 17, and said to contain 
papers justifying the double 
suspension of the Habeas Corpus 
Act which had taken place 
during the year. A committee, 
chosen entirely from the sup- 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS iii 



porters of the Government, 
was appointed to investigate 
its contents. 

Green Mountain Boys. 

An organized band of settlers 
in Vermont, formed in 1773 to 
resist the encroachments of the 
New Yorkers, who claimed Ver- 
mont as part of the territory 
of that State under the charter 
of Charles II. 

Green Mountain State. 

The popular name of the 
State of Vermont, U.S.A. 

Greenback Party. 

A party formed about 1874 
in the United States, which 
advocated the payment of the 
national debt in paper money. 
It ceased to exist in 1884. 

Grenville Act. 

An Act passed in 1770, trans- 
ferring from Parliament to a 
Parliamentary Committee the 
duty of investigating and deter- 
mining the vahdity of disputed 
elections. 

Gretna Green Marriages. 

These were made illegal by 
an Act passed in 1856, whereby 
it was declared that the Scotch 
marriage law should only apply 
in cases where one at least of the 
parties had resided in Scotland 
for the twenty-one days immedi- 
ately preceding the marriage. 

Grey League. 

A league of the landowners 
and communes of the western 
part of the Grisons, formed in 
1395- 

Griffith's Valuation. 

An official valuation of Irish 
properties, made by Sir Richard 
Grifhth as Commissioner of Valu- 
ation under the Irish Valuation 



Act of 1827. This valuation was 
the basis of the outcry against 
the landlords, the figures show- 
ing that in many cases excessive 
rents were being paid. 

Grondvet. 

The fundamental law or 
constitution of the South African 
Republic as adopted by the 
communities established north 
of the Vaal in 1849. 

Groote Privilegie. 

A charter granted to the 
Netherlands by Mary of Bur- 
gundy in 1477, at the Conven- 
tion of Ghent. It gave the cities 
and provinces of the Nether- 
lands the right to hold diets 
at their discretion, and forbade 
the Duchess or her descendants 
raising taxes or making war 
without the consent of the 
Estates. 

Grosbec. 

A nickname bestowed on 
Napoleon III on account of 
his prominent nose. 

Griitli, Men of. 

The Swiss who, according to 
tradition, took a solemn oath 
at Griitli, near Lucerne, on 
November 7, 1307, to free their 
country from the domination 
of Austria. The three leaders 
were Fiirst of Uri, Staufifacher 
of Schwyz, and Melchthal of 
Unterwalden. 

Guadeloupe Hidalgo, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the United 
States and Mexico in 1848, a 
the close of the Mexican War. 
It provided for the cession to 
the United States of New Mexico 
and California, in return for a 
cash payment of fifteen million 
dollars. The United States also 
took over the debts of Mexico 



112 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



to American citizens, amounting 
to about three and a half 
miUion dollars. 

Guelf Fund. 

The indemnity payable to 
the King of Hanover by Prussia, 
as compensation for the loss of 
his sovereign rights. This fund 
was sequestrated by Prussia 
in 1868, on the plea that the 
King was intriguing against her, 
and was employed by Bis- 
marck in subsidizing the Press. 
{See Reptile Fund.) 

Guelfs and Ghibellines. 

The two great parties into 
which Italy was divided, during 
the lengthy struggle between 
the Empire and the Papacy. 
The Guelfs were the Papal, the 
Ghibellines the Imperial fac- 
tion, but there were occasions 
when this division of parties 
was not adhered to, as in the 
case of the Second Lombard 
League of 1255. These names 
had their origin in the civil war 
of 1 1 39, in the course of which 
the Imperialists under Conrad 
III were besieging the town of 
Weinsberg. An attempt was 
made by the rebels to relieve it, 
and in the battle which followed 
the rebels charged with the cry 
of " Welf," to which the Im- 
perialists replied with " Waib- 
ling." These names became 
recognized as descriptive of the 
two parties, and were later 
Italianized into the better known 
forms. 

Guerre Folle. 

The rising of the Dukes of 
Brittany and Orleans against 
the Regent Anne, in 1484, is 
so called. 

Gueux, Les. 

A confederacy of patriotic 



noblemen and gentlemen of the 
Netherlands, formed in 1566 
under Brederode and Count 
Louis of Nassau. The Con- 
federacy was broken up in the 
following year, and many of its 
members perished on the scaf- 
fold. 

Gulathing's Law, 

One of the codes of law of the 
Norsemen. It was codified by 
Hakon the Good of Norway 
(934-960), but was probably 
of far earlier date. 

Gulf States. 

The name given to the States 
which border on the Gulf of 
Mexico, namely, Florida, Ala- 
bama, Mississippi, Louisiana 
and Texas. 

Gulistan, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Russia and 
Persia, signed in 18 13, by which 
Persia, after a two years' war of 
disastrous defeats, surrendered 
all her possessions north of Ar- 
menia, together with the right 
of navigating the Caspian Sea. 

Gunpowder Act. 

An Act passed by the Irish 
Parliament in 1793, forbidding 
the importation of arms and 
gunpowder into Ireland, and 
rendering their possession with- 
out a license illegal. 

Gunpowder Plot. 

A plot to blow up the Parlia- 
ment House during a sitting of 
Parliament, the leaders in which 
were Catesby, Winter and 
Fawkes, and which was con- 
nived at by the Jesuits. It 
was hoped thereby to bring 
about a Catholic rising in 
England. The plot was betrayed 
by Tresham, one of the con- 
spirators, to Lord Monteagle, 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 113 



his brother-in-law, and the con- 
spirators were either arrested 
or killed during their flight. 



H 



Habeas Corpus Act. 

An Act of Parliament passed 
in 1679. Since Magna Charta 
every Englishman had theoret- 
ically the right to trial, and 
could demand a writ of Habeas 
Corpus, under which the duly 
constituted courts were bound 
to take cognisance of his 
case. In practice, however, 
various obstacles were from 
time to time opposed to the 
obtaining of this writ. The Act 
of 1679 ordered that a judge 
should at any time grant such 
a writ on application, and 
inflicted severe penalties on 
the gaoler who failed to obey it. 

Habitans. 

The name given to the Canadian 
farmers of French descent in 
the province of Quebec. 

Hadji. 

A Mohammedan who has 
made the Hadj, or pilgrimage 
to Mecca, is entitled to this 



Haeretico Comburendo, Statute de. 
A statute passed in the reign 
of Henry IV (1401), forbidding 
teaching and preaching without 
a bishop's license. The bishop 
was further given the power of 
condemning heretical books. 
The punishment for obduracy 
was burning at the stake. This 
statute was specially directed 
against the Lollards. 

Hague Congress. 

A Congress of the Powers, 
summoned at the instance of 



the Czar in 1899, to consider 
the possibility of universal dis- 
armament, and other questions 
bearing on the peace of the 
world. The larger schemes 
foreshadowed by the Czar were 
found impracticable, but the 
Congress resulted in the ap- 
pointment of an International 
Tribunal of Arbitration, to sit 
at the Hague. It was further 
agreed to prohibit in future 
warfare the throwing of explo- 
sives from balloons or air ships, 
the use of shells containing 
deleterious gases, and the use of 
expanding or explosive bullets. 

Haleuca. 

The body-guard of slaves of 
Touran Shah, Sultan of Egypt, 
afterwards known as the Mame- 
lukes. 

Half-breeds. 

The name given by the Stal- 
warts in New York State in 
1 88 1 to those Republicans who 
supported President Garfield in 
his movement for Civil Service 
reform. They were also known 
as Featherheads. « 

Half-way Covenant. 

An agreement between Con- 
necticut and Massachusetts, 
recommended for the accept- 
ance of Plymouth and New 
Haven in 1662. It somewhat 
mitigated the ultra-stringent 
conditions of Church member- 
ship then obtaining, whence it 
was derisively called the Half- 
way Covenant by the extreme 
Puritan party. 

Halifax Fishery Commission. 

A commission appointed in 
1877 to assess the compensation 
to be awarded to the British- 
American Colonies, in return 
I 



114 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



for the recognition of American 
fishing rights in Colonial waters. 
Canada was awarded four and 
a half million dollars, and New- 
foundland a million. 

Hammer of England. 

The sobriquet of Sir William 
"Wallace (i 270-1 305). 

Hammer of Scotland. 

On the tomb of Edward I 
was inscribed " Edwardus 
Longus, Scotorum Malleus 
hie est." 

Hampton Court Conference. 

A conference held in 1604 
between the Bishops and the 
Puritans, to consider the Millen- 
ary Petition. It ended in the 
complete triumph of the High 
Church party. 

Hampton Roads Conference. 

A conference held on Febru- 
ary 3, 1865, on board a man-of- 
war in Hampton Roads, between 
President Lincoln and represen- 
tatives of the Southern States, 
with the object of bringing about 
a suspension of hostilities. The 
conference was, however, with- 
out results. 

Handsuppers. 

The name given to those 
Boers who surrendered in res- 
ponse to Lord Roberts' procla- 
mation, or at later stages of the 
Boer War of 1 899-1902. They 
were looked upon with con- 
tempt by those who fought to 
the bitter end, and seem not 
unlikely to form a separate 
Pro-British party in the new 
Colonies. 

Hanging Gale. 

A custom of Irish Land 
Tenure, having the force of law, 
by which a respite of from three 



to six months is given to the 
tenant before he can be pro- 
ceeded against for non-payment 
of rent. 

Hanover, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed by Great 
Britain, France and Prussia in 
1725, which subsequently re- 
ceived the adhesion of Holland, 
Sweden and Denmark, by which 
the contracting parties mutually 
guaranteed to each other the 
enjoyment of their then posses- 
sions. 

Hanseatic League. 

A confederation of the princi- 
pal trading centres of Germany, 
formed in 1241 for commercial 
purposes, and specially for 
mutual defence against the 
Baltic pirates, and the rob- 
ber nobles. Its founders were 
Hamburg and Liibeck, who 
were shortly afterwards joined 
by Bremen, Cologne, Danzig 
and other cities, and still later 
by many foreign towns, until, 
at the height of its prosperity, 
the league comprised eighty 
cities. The league was dis- 
solved in 1630, but Hamburg, 
Bremen and Liibeck retained 
their privileges as free towns, 
until they were absorbed into 
the German Empire in 1871. 

Hara-kiri. 

The method of suicide adopted 
in old Japan by members of the 
Samurai, or military class, who 
had no alternative but to die. 
Hara-kiri might be either volun- 
tary, or by order of a feudal 
lord, as the penalty of some 
crime which did not imply 
degradation from the rank of 
Samurai. In the latter case 
it was in the nature of an execu- 
tion, and was surrounded by an 
elaborate ceremonial, especially 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 115 



in the case of a Daimio or 
a gentleman of high rank. 

Harangue. 

An appeal addressed by 
William of Orange to the Princes 
of Germany, in 1571, setting 
forth the wrongs of the Reform- 
ing party, and calling for their 
assistance. 

Hardshell Democrats. 

One of the sections of the 
Democratic partv in New York 
State from 1848 to 1854. They 
were strongly in favour of the 
Fugitive Slave Law. Their 
opponents were known as the 
Softshell Democrats. 

Hardwicke's Act, Lord. 

An Act, also known as the 
Marriage Act, passed in 1753. 
It provided that a legal mar- 
riage could be contracted only 
in the parish church, after 
pubhcation of banns, or by 
special license of the Archbishop. 

Heirper's Ferry. 

The scene of John Brown's 
abortive rising in 1869, in the 
attempt to bring about a revolt 
against the Southern slave- 
owners. He and his followers 
seized the United States ar- 
moury at that place, but his 
little band were soon over- 
powered, John Brown being 
captured. 

Hartford Convention. 

A secret convention of promi- 
nent members of the Peace 
Party in New England, who 
objected to the energetic prose- 
cution of the war with England 
in 1 8 14. They proposed to 
amend the constitution in the 
direction of diminishing the 
control of Congress over ques- 
tions of peace and war. 



Hatamotos. 

In old Japan, the retainers 
of the Shogun were known 
by this name, which signifies 
" under the flag." They were 
eighty thousand in number. 
Those whose lands were of a 
certain extent furnished a con- 
tingent in time of war ; those 
with smaller revenues paid 
money dues. The Hatamotos 
may be described as a created 
nobility, as opposed to the 
hereditary nobility of the 
Daimios. They date from the 
time of the Shogun lyemitsu, in 
the early part of the seven- 
teenth century. 

Hats and Caps. 

Two political parties in 
Sweden in the eighteenth cen- 
tury, who were jpartizans res- 
pectively of the French and 
the Russians. They were so 
called from their wearing the 
headgear of the respective 
countries. 

Hatti Humayun. 

An edict of the Sultan of 
Turkey, Abdul Mejid, issued in 
1856, conferring equal rights 
on all his subjects. Christian 
and Mohammedan alike. This 
concession was the result of 
the efforts of Lord Stratford 
de Redchffe. 

Hatti Sherif. 

A firman or decree of the 
Porte, signed by the Sultan 
personally. 

Haute Cour. 

'A tribunal established by 
the French Legislative Assem- 
bly in 1791, to enable it to deal 
with ndnisters and public func- 
tionaries obnoxious to the 
majority of that body. The 
Haute Cour had the power of 



ii6 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



initiating prosecutions as well 
as of judging, and there was no 
appeal from its decisions. 

Hawkeye State. 

The popular name of the 
State of Iowa, U.S.A. It is 
derived from a famous Indian 
chief of that name. 

Hay-Paimcefote Treaty. 

A treaty signed in 1901 
between Great Britain and the 
United States, to amend the 
Clayton-Bulwer Treaty of 1850 
with respect to the proposed 
canal to unite the Atlantic and 
Pacific Oceans, The new treaty 
maintains the general principle 
of neutralization of the canal, 
but the United States alone is 
charged with the maintenance 
of its neutrality. No fortifica- 
tions are to be built in any way 
commanding it, and it is to be 
always free from blockade. The 
United States reserve the right 
to maintain a military police 
force along the line of the canal 
for protective purposes. 

Headborough. 

In Anglo-Saxon times the 
chief of the Frankpledge. In 
the event of a member of the 
Frankpledge failing in his obli- 
gations and fleeing from justice, 
it was the duty of the Head- 
borough to prove that the other 
members of the Frankpledge 
were guiltless of complicity 
with the defaulter. 

Hearth Money. 

A tax of two shillings on every 
hearth, first imposed in 1663. 
It was very unpopular, and was 
abolished in 1689. A similar 
tax, known as Chimney Money, 
had been levied as early as the 
Norman Conquest. 



Heaven-sent Minister. 

A sobriquet of the younger 
Pitt. 

Heemraden, Court of. 

A court first established at 
Stellenbosch, Cape Colony, in 
1682. It was composed of four 
local burghers, and its duty was 
the settlement of small disputes 
among the inhabitants of the 
district. Similar courts were 
established in other townships, 
and the system lasted till 1828, 
when the Heemraden were 
abolished by the Charter of 
Justice. 
Hegira. 

The flight of Mohammed from 
Mecca in 622. It is from this 
date that the Mohammedan 
era is computed. 

Heidelberg Catechism. 

A profession of the Calvinistic 
faith issued from Heidelberg in 
the sixteenth century. It is 
also called the Palatinate Cate- 
chism. 

Heilbronn, Union of. 

A meeting summoned by 
Oxenstierna, the Swedish Chan- 
cellor, in 1633, after the death 
of Gustavus Adolphus, with 
the object of preventing the 
dissolution of the German 
Protestant Alliance. The 
meeting was attended by repre- 
sentatives of England, France 
and Holland, and the circles of 
the Upper and Lower Rhine, 
Suabia and Franconia. 

Helvetic Confession. 

A statement of the Protes- 
tant doctrine, harmonizing to 
some extent the opposing views 
of Calvin and Zwingli, drawn 
up in 1566 by BuUinger, and 
accepted by the majority of 
the Protestant Cantons. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 117 



Helvetic Republic. 

The constitution established 
in Switzerland in 1798, under 
the revolutionary impulse gener- 
ated by the French Revolution. 
It superseded the Federation 
of the Thirteen Cantons. 

Henry, Articles of. 

See Pacta Conventa. 

Heptarchy. 

The various Anglo - Saxon 
kingdoms were known as the 
Heptarchy, though as a fact 
they were at no time seven in 
number, two or more being 
grouped at various periods, 
under one monarch. The most 
powerful sovereign of the time 
was usually recognized as the 
Bretwalda, or leader, of the 
rest. The various kingdoms of 
the Heptarchy were finally 
united under one crown, during 
the reign of .^Ethelstan (925- 
940.) 

Herad. 

Among the Norse nations, 
the Herad was the land of the 
Her or host, the Her being com- 
posed of a number of families 
who acted together for mutual 
protection under a chief, and 
formed in fact a tribe. 

Herald's College. 

This was founded as a College 
of Arms by Richard III in 
1484. Its members were the 
Earl Marshal, the Kings of 
Arms, and the Heralds, and its 
functions the supervision of all 
questions that might arise as to 
the bearing of coat-armour. 

Heresy of the Politicians. 

The teachings of Arnold of 
Brescia were known by this 
name. He commenced a 
crusade at Brescia in 1139 
against the corruption of the 



Church and its assumption of 
temporal power. He was ulti. 
mately condemned as a heretic, 
and burnt at the stake in 11 55. 

Heretoga. 

In Anglo-Saxon times the 
title given to the commander 
of the army. 

Heriot. 

A fine due to the lord of the 
manor on the death of a person 
holding land of the manor. It 
consisted of the best beast or 
chattel belonged to the deceased. 

Heritable Jurisdictions Act. 

An Act passed in 1747, abolish- 
ing hereditary jurisdictions 
throughout Scotland. Up to this 
date the decision of ordinary 
actions at law, especially in the 
Highlands, had been in the 
hands of the chiefs of the clans, 
and principal landowners, and 
had descended by heredity, 
with the result that judicial 
functions were frequently exer- 
cised by persons having no 
legal knowledge or aptitude. 
By this Act these powers were 
transferred to sheriffs-depute, 
one being appointed for each 
county. 

Hermandad. 

A confederation of the prm- 
cipal cities of Castile, formed 
during the middle ages for 
mutual protection against 
brigands and other lawless 
persons. By degrees the 
brotherhood usurped the func- 
tions of a legislative body, 
enforcing their rules, when 
necessary, by force of arms. 
It was also known as the Santa 
Hermandad, or Holy Brother- 
hood. 

Herrings, Battle of the. 

The name given to an un- 



ii8 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



successful attack by the French 
upon the entrenched camp of 
Sir John Fastolfe at Rouvray 
in 1429. 

Hero of the Nile. 

A sobriquet of Nelson. 

Herschel System. 

The system of State Educa- 
tion established in Cape Colony 
in 1838, and designed by Sir 
John Herschel, the astronomer. 
Public elementary schools were 
provided in all the principal 
centres of European population, 
where instruction was given free 
to all children of good conduct. 
Religious instruction was also 
given to all whose parents did 
not object, and clergymen of 
any denomination were per- 
mitted to catechise the children 
of their congregation at stated 
hours. Secondary schools were 
established in the principal 
villages, and a normal seminary 
in Capetown, to train teachers 
for the elementary schools. 

Hersir. 

In ancient Norse times, the 
hereditary chief of a Her, or 
tribunal community. 

Hidage. 

In Anglo-Saxon times, a land 
tax for war purposes. Under 
.^thelred the Unready the tax 
took the form of the furnishing 
of one man at arms for every 
eight hides, and one ship for 
every three hundred hides. 

Hide. 

In Saxon times the portion of 
land allotted to every free house- 
holder. 

High Commission, Court of. 

A court established in the 
reign of Elizabeth, to deal with 
all^ questions appertaining to 



church discipline. It was 
abolished by Parliament in 
1 64 1, but reconstituted by 
James II in 1686, under the 
notorious Jeffreys, in whose 
hands it became a mere instru- 
ment for persecution and extor- 
tion. Under pressure of the 
pending invasion of William of 
Orange, James, in the last year 
of his reign, consented to its 
abolition. 

High Commission, Court of 
(Ireland). 
A court established by Lord 
Wentworth in 1634, to exercise 
the same functions as the 
English court of the same name. 

Highland Garb Act. 

An Act passed in 1746, after 
the suppression of the Rebellion 
of Forty-live, rendering the 
wearing of the Highland dress 
illegal. 

Hintchak. ^ 

An Armenian secret society, 
founded at Tiflis in 1887, to 
carry on a newspaper of the 
same name. The statutes of 
the society, however, clearly 
show that its aims were revolu- 
tionary, and it was largely con- 
cerned in fomenting the disturb- 
ances which preceded the 
Armenian massacres of 1895-6. 

Hinterland Doctrine. 

A doctrine enunciated by 
Germany to the effect that in 
newly-occupied countries, such 
as East or West Africa, the 
possession of the coast line 
implied a right to the back 
country, to be taken up at 
convenience, and that no other 
country had a right to take up 
country behind, and block the 
way into the interior. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 119 



Hlutdaw. 

The old Burmese Council of 
Ministers. In 1886 five of the 
Ministers were confirmed in 
their offices, to act as an advisory 
board for native affairs to the 
Chief Commissioner. In 1889 
the pacification of the country 
was sufficiently advanced to 
permit of the board being 
abolished. 

Holkar. 

The title of the Mahratta 
Maharajahs of Indore. 

Holy Alliance. 

An alliance formed between 
Russia, Austria and Prussia 
in September, 1815, by which 
the three sovereigns undertook 
that for the future their policy 
should be guided solely by 
Christian principles. At the 
same time there is no doubt 
that the alliance was intended 
to stem the tide of political 
liberty, set flowing by the 
French Revolution, and their 
threatened interference in the 
quarrel between Spain and her 
American colonies, which was 
the cause of the enunciation 
of the Monroe doctrine, is a 
sufficiently clear indication of 
this fact. 

Holy Experiment. 

The name given to William 
Penn's experiment of establish- 
ing (in Pennsylvania) a colony 
on the basis of absolute self- 
government, as a free colony of 
all mankind. 

Holy League. 

A league formed by Pope 
Julius II in 151 1, ostensibly 
for his protection against the 
aggression of Louis XII of 
France. Its members were 
Henry VIII, the Emperor 



Maximilian I, Ferdinand of 
Spain, and the Venetian Re- 
public, Two years later Julius' 
successor, Leo X, came to 
terms with Louis, and the league 
was dissolved. 

Holy League. 

A league formed by Clement 
VII in 1526, directed against 
the Emperor Charles V. Its 
members, in addition to the 
Pope, were Francis I of France, 
the Venetian Republic, and 
Duke Sforza of Milan. 

Holy League. 

A league of the Catholic 
Princes of Germany, formed in 
1609 under the leadership of 
Maximilian of Bavaria, as a 
counterpoise to the Protestant 
Union of 1608. 

Holy League of Nuremburg. 

A league of Catholic Princes, 
formed by Held, the Chancellor 
of Charles V, in 1538, to oppose 
the Lutheran Princes. Its 
principal members were Duke 
George of Saxony, the Elector 
of Bavaria, and the Archbishops 
of Mentz and Salzburg. 

Holy Office. 

See Inquisition. 

Holy Roman Empire. 

The Empire of the West, 
which had been destroyed by 
the barbarian invasions, was 
to a great extent restored by 
Charlemagne, who was crowned 
its first Emperor by Leo III in 
800. After the extinction of 
the Carlovingian line, the Em- 
perors were exclusively German 
Princes, and were elected to the 
throne by the sovereign rulers of 
certain German States, though 
the Popes always claimed, and 
sometimes exercised, the right 
of veto, by refusing to crown. 



I20 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



In 1272 the first Emperor of 
the House of Hapsburg, Rudolf, 
was elected, and from 1438 the 
Emperors were without excep- 
tion members of this house, 
until the Empire was finally 
broken up by Napoleon in 1806. 

Holy Sepulchre, Knights of the. 
An order of knighthood in- 
stituted by Pope Alexander VI 
for the guardianship of the 
Holy Places in Palestine and 
the protection of pilgrims. 

Home Rule Bill, 1886. 

The first Home Rule Bill, 
introduced by Mr. Gladstone, 
providing for the creation of 
a legislative body in Dublin, 
with control of the administra- 
tion, subject to safeguards as to 
the unity of the Empire, and 
the protection of minorities. 
It was to have control of all 
taxation, except of customs 
and excise, but was forbidden 
to legislate on any matter relating 
to the crown, defence, or foreign 
relations, or to endow any 
religious bodies. The Irish 
representation at Westminster 
was to be abolished. The bill 
divided the Liberal Party, many 
of Mr. Gladstone's Cabinet 
deserting him, including Lord 
Hartington, Sir Henry James, 
Mr. Bright and Mr. Chamber- 
lain, and consequently it failed 
to pass the second reading. 
The general election which fol- 
lowed proved that the country 
was strongly opposed to the 
scheme. 

Home Rule Bill, 1893. 

The second Home Rule Bill, 
introduced by Mr. Gladstone in 
1893, was to a great extent on 
the lines of the first bill, creating 
a Parliament in Dublin, with 
legislative powers subject to 



certain reservations as to peace 
and war, external affairs, etc. 
In one respect, however, it 
differed widely, in that the 
Irish Parliamentary representa- 
tion at Westminster was not 
abolished, but merely reduced. 
The bill passed the Commons 
after lengthy and acrimonious 
discussion, especially in Com- 
mittee, where Mr. Gladstone 
introduced the system of 
" Closure by Compartments," 
but was rejected by the Lords. 

Home Rulers. 

A party formed in 1873, under 
the leadership of Isaac Butt, to 
agitate for the re-establishment 
of a separate Parliament for 
Ireland. His successor in the 
leadership of the party was 
Charles Stewart Parnell. 
Homestead Act (New Zealand). 

An Act passed in 1885, provid- 
ing that a male under eighteen 
could take up twenty acres of 
first class, or thirty acres of 
second class land, and a male 
over eighteen, fifty or seventy- 
five acres respectively, free of 
all cost, providing he agreed to 
reside five years on the land, 
and fulfil certain requirements 
as to cultivation. 

Homesteads Act (Western Aus- 
tralia). 
An Act passed in 1893, pro- 
viding for free grants of 160 
acres each to all males above 
eighteen, subject to certain 
conditions as to residence and 
improvements. 

Honest Broker. 

A nickname of Prince Bis- 
marck, with reference to his 
attitude, as President of the 
Berlin Congress in 1878, on the 
points in dispute between 
Russia and Austria. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 121 



Honour of the Flag. 

The claim made by Cromwell 
that England had the right to 
exact from all foreign ships, 
a salute to her flag in the narrow- 
seas. The Dutch Admiral, Van 
Tromp refusing the salute in 
1652, he was fired upon by the 
English Admiral, and the action 
which followed led to the declara- 
tion of war in July of the same 
year. The Dutch afterwards 
coilceded the claim by the 
Treaty of 1654. 

Honved. 

The Hungarian Landwehr or 
reserve is so called. The word 
means " Land Defenders," and 
was given to the national 
champions in the early days of 
Hungarian history. 

Hooks. 

The party of the nobles in 
the Netherlands in the four- 
teenth century. {See Kabbel- 
jaws. ) 

Hoosier State. 

The popular name of the 
State of Indiana, U.S.A. It is 
probably a corruption of Husher, 
a Western term for a bully. 

Hospitallers, Knights. 
See Malta, Knights of. 

Hospodars. 

The Princes of Moldavia and 
Wallachia were so called from 
1789, when these countries 
came under the sway of Russia. 

Hot Gospellers. 

The Puritans were so styled 
after the Restoration in 1660. 
The name was originally given 
to Edward Underhill, a Protes- 
tant who was imprisoned in 
1553 for an attack made by 
him on the Roman Catholics on 
the accession of Mary. 



Hotspur. 

The sobriquet of Henry Percy 
(1 364-1403). 

Houghers. 

An Irish agrarian society 
which appeared in Connemara 
in 171 1. They took their name 
from their practice of houghing 
the cattle of obnoxious persons. 
The society was suppressed in 
1713. 

House-carls. 

A body of standing troops 
raised by Knut, circ. 1030. 
The first standing army in 
England. 

Hovering Act. 

An Act passed in 1784, ex- 
tending the authority of the 
revenue officers to a distance 
of four leagues from the coast. 

Hubertsberg, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Prussia 
and Austria, signed in 1763, at 
the conclusion of the Seven 
Years' War. It was a pendent 
to the Peace of Paris, and con- 
firmatory of that instrument, 
as between the two signatory 
Powers. 

Hudson's Bay Company. 

A Company formed in 1670, 
under a charter granted by 
Charles II giving it absolute 
control of the watershed of 
Hudson's Bay (then known as 
Rupertsland), in return for a 
small annual tribute. The 
Company's territories were 
absorbed by the Dominion of 
Canada in 1869. 

Hue, Treaty of. 

A treaty between France 
and Annam, signed in 1874, by 
which Annam accepted the 
French protectorate over her 
territories. 



122 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Huguenots. 

The name given to the French 
Protestants. It is probably 
derived from Hugues, a Calvinist 
of Geneva, though other deriva- 
tions have been given. "When, 
by the revocation of the Edict 
of Nantes, in 1685, the exercise 
of their religion was denied them, 
many thousands of them emi- 
grated to England, Holland, 
and other Protestant countries. 

Human Leopards. 

A secret society of negroes, 
discovered and suppressed in 
Sierra Leone in 1896. The 
members of the society, which 
had been in existence for about 
twenty years, practised canni- 
balism, and had murdered and 
eaten several hundred persons. 
The leaders were hanged. 

Hundred. 

In early Saxon times this 
name was given to a subdivision 
of the tribe which corresponded 
to the ancient German pagus (so 
called by Tacitus,) It seems 
to have consisted of a hundred 
heads of families, and it fur- 
nished a hundred warriors to 
the tribal army, and a hun- 
dred assessors to the judicial 
court. 

Hundred Days. 

The period between Napo- 
leon's return from Elba and his 
second abdication. 

Hundred Years' War. 

The name given to the series 
of wars between France and 
England which lasted from 
1338 to 1449 and ended by the 
expulsion of the English from 
France, with the exception of 
Calais, which they held till 
1558. 



Hungarian Martyrs. 

The thirteen Hungarian 
generals executed at Arad, 
after the War of Independence 
in 1849. 

Hungarian War of Independ- 
ence. 
A rising of the Hungarian 
national party under Kossuth, 
in 1848, owing to the refusal 
of the Austrians to give any 
redress for the outrages of the 
Croatian troops under Jellachich 
in the valleys of the Theiss and 
the Danube. Kossuth was 
appointed Dictator by the Hun- 
garian Diet, and the rising was 
at first successful, but in 1849 
the Austrians received the 
assistance of a large Russian 
army, and in August of that 
year, the Magyars were forced 
to surrender, and their leaders 
left the country. General 
Hainan made himself notorious 
by his cruelties after the col- 
lapse of the armed resistance. 

Hunkers. . 

The extreme pro-slavery 
section of the New York Demo- 
crats from 1844 to 1848. They 
were known after the latter 
date as Hardshell Democrats. 

Hunting of Braemar. 

A meeting of the Jacobite 
leaders, ostensibly for sport, 
summoned by the Earl of Mar, 
in 17 1 5, to concert measures 
for the rising which took place 
in the autumn of that year, 

Hussites. 

The followers of John Huss, 
a professor of the University of 
Prague, who had imbibed the 
Wycliffite doctrines. Though 
excommunicated by Pope Alex- 
ander V in 141 2, he continued 
to disseminate these doctrines. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



and was consequently sum- 
moned to the Council of Con- 
stance in 14 1 4, where, though 
under the Emperor's safe- 
conduct, he was thrown into 
prison, and subsequently burnt 
at the stake. His principal 
disciple, Jerome of Prague, 
suffered the same fate in 1416, 
but his followers, under John 
Zisca, rose in revolt against the 
Church, to the number of 
40,000. They destroyed some 
five hundred convents, and 
defeated the Emperor Sigis- 
mund, but were broken up into 
sections in 1424, following upon 
Zisca's death. They still, how- 
ever, remained in insurrection 
until 1436, when the revolt was 
ended by the treaty of Iglau, 

Hyde Park Riots. 

A riot which broke out in 
1866, after the defeat of the 
Russell Ministry over the Reform 
Bill of that year. A meeting 
had been summoned by the 
Reform League, to meet in 
Hyde Park, but the Govern- 
ment prohibited the meeting, 
and closed the park gates, 
whereupon the mob pulled 
down the_ railings. Little other 
damage, however, was done, 
and the riot was easily quelled. 

I 
L D. B. 

See Illicit Diamond Buying. 

Iconoclasts. 

This name was first given to 
the followers of Leo III, Em- 
peror of the East, who in 726 
interdicted the worship of 
images. The opposition of a 
considerable section of his sub- 
jects did not deter him from 
carrying his principles into effect, 
and what is known as the Icono- 



clast War was the result. The 
same title is applied to the more 
militant Huguenots in France in 
1560 and 1561, who, wherever 
they obtained the upper hand, 
ruthlessly destroyed the statues 
which adorned the churches and 
monasteries; and also to a 
section of the Puritans during 
the English Civil War. 

Iglau, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the Hussites 
and the Emperor Sigismund, 
signed in 1436, putting an end to 
the Hussite War. It was based 
upon the Compactata of Prague, 
and secured to the Hussites the 
free exercise of their religion on 
the lines of that document. 

Ilbert Bill. 

A bill introduced in the Legis- 
lative Council of India by Mr. 
Ilbert in 1883 "to amend the 
criminal jurisdiction over British 
subjects." It largely extended 
the jurisdiction of native magis- 
trates in the trial of Europeans, 
and was most bitterly criticised 
by the Anglo-Indian community, 
especially by planters and others 
living in remote districts. 

Illicit Diamond Buying. 

An illegal trade in diamonds 
carried on by certain speculators 
in Kimberley, who purchased 
from the employes of the Dia- 
mond companies rough dia- 
monds which they had secreted 
in the process of washing. It 
was largely checked by the 
Diamond Trade Act of 1882. 
This illicit trade is generally 
known as I.D.B. 

Illuminati. 

A famous sect of German 
mystics, founded at Ingolstadt 
by Adam Weisshaupt in 1776. 
It undertook a crusade against 



124 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Jesuitism and Church domina- 
tion generally, but did not hold 
aloof from politics, its higher 
initiates being professed Repub- 
licans. It was suppressed by 
the Elector of Bavaria in 1785. 

Immi^ants Restriction Bill. 

A bill passed in 1901 by the 
Federal Parliament of Australia 
in response to the outcry for a 
" White Australia." It pro- 
hibits the immigration of all 
coloured labour, including the 
South Sea Islanders, or Kanakas. 
This restriction has caused much 
concern in Northern Queensland, 
where the climate is not suitable 
for white labour, and its enforce- 
ment will destroy the sugar and 
other industries and render the 
country almost valueless. 

Imparani, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1866 after 
the Basuto War of 1865-66 be- 
tween the Orange Free State and 
Molapo, the son of Moshesh. 
Molapo surrendered to the Free 
State the greater part of his 
country, and became a vassal of 
the State. He further bound 
himself to render no assistance 
to any other Basuto chief who 
might rise against the Free 
State. 

Imperial Chamber. 

See Reichskammergericht. 

Imperial Federation Enabling 
Act. 

F An Act passed in 1885 to 
facilitate the federation of the 
Australasian Colonies. {See 
Federal Council.) 

Importants. 

The party who supported the 
Regent, Anne of Austria, during 
the minority of Louis XIV. 
They strongly opposed Mazarin's 
policy, but the cardinal suc- 



ceeded in embroiling them with 
the queen, thanks to feminine 
intrigues, and their leaders were 
imprisoned or banished. 

Impositions. 

Illegal additions to the autho- 
rized customs duties, levied by 
James I without the consent of 
Parliament, They were among 
the grievances detailed in the 
Petition of Grievances in 1610. 

In Coena Domini, Bull. 

A Bull issued at intervals 
during the Middle Ages, and 
annually on Holy Thursday 
from 1627 to 1770. It was a 
summary of the offences against 
the Church and the priesthood, 
and of the ecclesiastical censures 
pronounced against them. The 
sovereigns of Europe regarded 
this Bull as an infringement of 
their rights, and it was in con- 
sequence of their continued pro- 
tests that Clement XIV ceased 
to promulgate it. 
In Eminenti, Bull. 

A Bull of Urban VII, issued in 
1642, condemning the " Augus- 
tinus " of Jansen as heretical. 

Incas. 

The ruling family of the 
ancient Peruvians up to the con- 
quest of Peru by Pizarro in 1 531. 
They claimed to be descended 
from the Sun-God. 
Incident, The. 

A plot, discovered during the 
visit of Charles I to Scotland in 
1 64 1, to kill or kidnap Argyle 
and Hamilton. The king was 
suspected of being privy to it, 
though he strenuously denied it. 
Incorruptible, The. 

The name given by his fol- 
lowers to Robespierre. 
Indemnity and Oblivion, Act of. 

An Act passed at the Restora- 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 125 



tion in 1660, granting a free par- 
don to those who had been in 
arms against the king, with the 
exception of the Regicides and 
Sir Harry Vane and General 
Lambert, and setthng in favour 
of bond fide holders all claims to 
land acquired during the Com- 
monwealth. 

Independence. 

See Declaration. 
Independents. 

A sect of extreme Puritans, 
originally identified with the 
Brownists. They afterwards 
became a pohtical party, holding 
more advanced views than the 
Presbyterians, who represented 
a conservative form of repub- 
licanism, and ultimately, under 
the leadership of Cromwell and 
with the aid of the army, which 
was mainly officered by them, 
they became the predominant 
party in the state. 

Index Expurgatorius. 

The list of books the perusal 
of which is forbidden to devout 
Catholics. The first index was 
drawn up by Paul IV in 1555 to 
prevent the diffusion of heretical 
opinions through the writings of 
the Reformers. 

India Act, Pitt's. 

An Act passed in 1784 by 
which all political power was 
taken from the East India Com- 
pany and vested in a Board of 
Control nominated by the Gov- 
ernment. The Company re- 
tained all its patronage, except- 
ing the appointment of Com- 
mander-in-Chief and some other 
high posts, and their commercial 
rights under their Charter were 
not interfered with. 

Indian National Congress. 
An annual congress of natives of 



India, with some few Europeans, 
whose object is to promote the 
extension to India of Western 
pohtical institutions, such as 
representative government. The 
first congress met at Allahabad 
in 1888, and was attended by a 
few Mohammedans, but it has 
now fallen almost entirely into 
the hands of the Bengali Babus. 

Indians, Apostle of the. 

The name given to Bartolo- 
meo de las Casas (1474-1566), 
the Spanish ecclesiastic who 
devoted his life to the ameliora- 
tion of the condition of the South 
American Indians. 

Indies, Apostle of the. 

St. Francis Xavier, the famous 
Jesuit missionary to India in the 
sixteenth century is so called. 

Indies, Council of the. 

A supreme court for American 
affairs, established in Spain by 
Ferdinand in 1511 and re- 
organized by Charles V in 1524. 
The council promulgated all the 
laws relating to the government 
of the colonies and appointed 
to all colonial ofiices under the 
Crown. 

Indulgence. 

A measure of toleration 
granted to the Scottish Presby- 
terians in 1669, by which their 
ministers were permitted to 
preach in vacant parishes and 
received some pecuniary aid 
from the Government. This 
measure, however, did nothing 
to reconcile the more bigoted 
members of the Church, who 
continued their resistance to all 
State control. The Indulgence 
was soon withdrawn. • 

Indulgence. 

See Declaration. 



126 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Indulgences. 

H Forms of absolution granted by 
Leo X, which were openly sold by 
his agents, the proceeds of the 
sale being devoted to the com- 
pletion of St. Peter's at Rome. 
It was^Hhe'sale of Uhese by 
Tetzel in 1 5 17, in the dominions 
of the Elector of Saxony, which 
called forth Luther's vehement 
protest, and was the beginning 
of the Reformation in Germany. 

Ineffabilis Deus, Bull. 

The Bull of Pius IX, issued in 
1854, by which the doctrine of 
the Immaculate Conception of 
the Virgin was proclaimed as an 
article of the Catholic faith. 

Inexorable Families. 

The old aristocratic families of 
Virginia, who were expected, 
during the War of Independence, 
to show British sympathies, but 
earned the name of " Inex- 
orable " by their staunch ad- 
herence to the national cause. 

Infallible. 

A title assumed by the Pope 
Pelagius (57S-590). 

Infante. 

The title of the eldest son of 
the Spanish Sovereign. 

Infernal Legion. 

A body of irregular troops, 
composed of desperadoes of all 
nations, organized by Bover on 
the side of the Royalists during 
the revolt of the Spanish 
American Colonies in 18 14. 

Initiative. 

Under the Swiss Constitution, 
the right of the people to initiate 
proposals for the enactment, 
repeal or amendment of a law. 
Fifty thousand signatures are 
required to make the demand 
operative. 



Inquisition. 

A tribunal to inquire into and 
suppress heresy, established by 
Innocent III at the Fourth 
Lateran Council in 1 2 1 5 . It was 
introduced into Germany in 1 2 3 1 , 
but abolished in 1234, and never 
again restored. In Italy it was 
successful in stamping out 
heresy, but it is in Spain that 
its tyranny was most notorious, 
an auto-de-fe having been held 
in that country as late as 1826. 
Its administration was entrusted 
to the Dominican Order. 

Instrument of Government. 

A document issued by Crom- 
well in 1653 by which he took 
the title of Protector. He was 
to be assisted by a Council of 
State of fifteen members, and a 
new Parliament was to be 
elected, to number 400, with a 
;^20o qualification both for mem- 
bers and electors. No Parlia- 
ment was to be dissolved unless 
it had sat for five months, and 
Parliaments were to be triennial. 

Insurrection Act. 

An Act passed by the Irish 
Parliament in 1796 empowering 
the Government to declare any 
county to be in a state of 
insurrection, whereupon the 
officials had the right to search 
for arms and to imprison persons 
found abroad between sunset 
and sunrise. 

Insurrection of Women. 

An outbreak of the women of 
Paris on October 5, 1789. They 
broke into the armoury of the 
Hotel de Ville, and, having 
armed themselves., marched to 
Versailles, to demand speech of 
the king. The result of the 
rising was the return of the king 
to Paris, which took place on the 
following clay. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 127 



Inter Gravissimas, Bull. 

The Bull of Gregory XIII, 
issued in 1582, ordaining the use 
of the new calendar throughout 
Christendom. 

Interdict. 

The proclamation issued by 
Innocent III in 1208 against 
John and the realm of England. 
It forbade all services of the 
Church, except Baptism and 
Supreme Unction, and only per- 
mitted the burial of the dead in 
unconsecrated ground. In the 
following year the Interdict was 
followed by the excommunica- 
tion of John. 

Interim of Leipsic. 

A modification of the Interim, 
of Ratisbon, issued by Charles V 
in December, 1548, and accepted 
by Melancthon on behalf of the 
Lutherans. 

Interim of Ratisbon. 

A system of doctrine issued 
by Charles V in May, 1548, as an 
attempt to reconcile the differ- 
ences dividing the religious 
world. While retaining all the 
salient doctrines of Catholicism, 
it permitted certain modifica- 
tions in practice and ritual 
calculated to conciliate the 
Protestants. It did not, how- 
ever, succeed in pleasing either 
party. 

Intermarriage Act. 

One of the laws of the Irish 
Penal Code, which provided that 
a man who married a Catholic 
should be regarded as a Papist 
and subject to all their dis- 
abiUties, while a woman so 
marrying should be dead to the 
law. 

International African Association. 

An international commission 

formed at the Brussels Con- 



ference in 1876, with the object 
of exploring Central Africa. It 
resulted in the formation of the 
Congo Free State in 1885. 

International, The. 

An association of working 
men, founded in London in 1 864, 
the original statutes of the 
society being drawn up by the 
German Socialist leader Marx. 
It was intended as a centre of 
combination for aU workmen's 
societies and unions of every 
nation, but disclaimed any 
desire to interfere with them 
individually. In 1872 a split 
occurred in the society'- between 
the Marxists and the followers 
of the Anarchist Bakunin, and 
the International soon after 
ceased to exist as an organiza- 
tion. 

Intransigentes. 

The extreme revolutionary 
party in the southern towns of 
Spain in 1873. 

Invincible Armada. 

The name given by the 
Spaniards to the great 
Spanish and Portuguese fleet 
dispatched by Philip II for 
the conquest of England in 1588. 
After being harried by the 
English ships under Howard of 
Effingham, Drake, Frobisher 
and others, it was finally dis- 
persed by violent storms in 
the North Sea, and out of 130 
ships only 53 returned to 
Spain. 

Invincibles. 

An Irish secret society, with 
headquarters in America, which 
became notorious in 1882 as 
having provided the assassins of 
Lord Frederick Cavendish and 
Mr. Burke. Those immediately 
concerned in the murder were 



128 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



brought to justice, but the heads 
of the society, including Tynan, 
the famous No i, were never 
made amenable. 

Ionian Islands, Cession of. 

By a treaty between Great 
Britain and Greece, signed in 
1 864, these islands were ceded to 
Greece. 

Irish Board of Agriculture. 

A new department establish- 
ed in Ireland in 1897, indepen- 
dent of the Castle and the Irish 
Office. Its first president was 
Mr. Horace Plunket. 

Irish Charter. 

The Charter granted to the 
Irish settlers by Henry III on his 
accession. It was practically a 
recital of the clauses of Magna 
Charta, with such variations as 
were rendered necessary by the 
different conditions. 

Irish Church Act, Althorp's. 

An Act passed in 1833 abolish- 
ing the Church fees, which were 
paid by all, whether Churchmen, 
Catholics or Dissenters, and 
reducing the number of Irish 
bishops from twenty-two to 
twelve. 

Irish Church Disestablishment. 

An Act for the disestablish- 
ment and partial disendowment 
of the Irish Church was passed 
by Mr. Gladstone's Government 
in 1869. The Irish bishops lost 
their seats in the House of Lords, 
the Irish Ecclesiastical Courts 
were abolished, and the union 
between the English and Irish 
Churches dissolved. The future 
government of the Irish Church 
was entrusted to a synod elected 
by the clergy and laity. Of the 
Church property, valued at 
about sixteen millions, seven 
millions were used to compen- 



sate incumbents and to replace 
the Maynooth Grant and the 
Regium Donum. 

Irish Land Act, 1870. 

An Act passed by Mr. Glad- 
stone's Government giving for 
the first time a legal status to the 
Ulster custom and extending it 
to all tenancies in Ireland. The 
Act provided for compensa- 
tion for disturbance and com- 
pensation for improvements in 
the event of the landlord deter- 
mining a tenancy, and enacted 
that improvements should be 
deemed to be the tenant's, the 
onus of proof to the contrary 
being thrown upon the landlord. 

Irish Land Act, 1881. 

This Act, passed in 1881, 
introduced the principle of 
judicial interference between 
landlord and tenant. It per- 
mitted the sale of tenant right 
and allowed the tenant to apply 
to the Court to fix a judicial 
rent, such rent to hold good for 
fifteen years. It made certain 
alterations, in the tenant's 
favour, in the law relating to 
compensation for improvements. 
It further established a Land 
Commission with power (i) to 
advance money to tenants for the 
purchase of their holdings, and 
(2) under certain conditions to 
purchase whole estates from the 
landlords. 

Irish Land Act, 1885. 

An Act known as Lord Ash- 
bourne's Act, giving additional 
facilities for the purchase by 
tenants of their holdings. An 
advance of ;^5, 000,000 was made 
to the Land Commissioners for 
this purpose, while the terms to 
purchasers were more generous 
than those of the BUI of 1881. 
The purchase money was to be 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 129 



advanced at 4 per cent,, and be 
repayable in forty-nine years, 
wMe the surplus of the Dis- 
established Church funds was to 
be used as a guarantee to the 
State against loss. 

Irish Land Act, 1896. 

An Act amending and con- 
solidating the previous Land 
Acts and dealing specially with 
the case of " Town Parks." It 
introduced no new principle, and 
though the Nationalists tried to 
secure the valuation of these 
holdings at prairie value, the 
Government carried in the main 
their plan for an equitable 
division between landlord and 
tenant of any increase of value 
due to situation. 

Irish Land Conference. 

A conference held in Dublin 
in January, 1903, known also as 
the Dunraven Conference, be- 
tween representatives of the 
Irish Landlords and the tenants, 
under the presidency of Lord 
Dunraven. The conference 
issued a unanimous report re- 
commending the abolition of 
dual ownership by means of a 
comprehensive scheme of land 
purchase. They proposed that 
the landlords should be bought 
out at a price based on their 
present income from rent, and 
that the tenants should purchase 
at from 15 per cent, to 25 per 
cent, less, the balance being 
found by the State, which would 
also advance the purchase 
money, to be repaid by instal- 
ments. 

Irish National League. 

An association formed in 
Dublin in 1882, after the sup- 
pression of the Land League, to 



unite all sections of Irish 
Nationalists. 

Irish Society. 

A society formed by twelve of 
the City Companies of London 
to colonize lands in Ulster for- 
feited from O'Neill and O'Don- 
neU. They were granted a 
charter by James I in 161 3, 
which was suspended in 1637 
but restored in 1670. 

Irish Volunteers, Society of. 
JSee Friends of Ireland. 

Iron Chancellor. 

A sobriquet of Prince Bis- 
marck. 

Iron Chest. 

A secret closet in the bed- 
chamber of Louis XVI. Its exis- 
tence was revealed by Gamain, 
the king's locksmith, who had 
constructed it, and it was 
searched immediately by order 
of the National Convention, 
when certain compromising 
documents were found. 

Iron Cross. 

A Prussian decoration con- 
ferred for bravery in the field. 
It was established in 1813. 

Iron Crown. 

The royal crown of Lombardy, 
said to have been forged from a 
nail of the true cross. It was 
first used in 591 at the corona- 
tion of Agilulf, King of the 
Lombards, and is now the 
royal crown of Italy. 

Iron Duke. 

The sobriquet of the great 
Duke of Wellington. 

Iron Emperor. 

Nicholas I of Russia (1825-55! 
was so called. 



I30 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Iron Hand, Gotz of the. 

The sobriquet of Gotz von 
Berlichingen, the leader in the 
German Peasants' War of 1525. 
His right hand, which he had 
lost in battle, was replaced by an 
artificial hand made of iron. 

Iron Mask, The Man with the. 

A mysterious personage whose 
face was always covered with 
an iron mask, who was confined 
in the Bastille and other State 
prisons in France during the 
reign of Louis XIV. Many 
theories have been advanced as 
to his identity. It has been 
contended that he was an elder 
brother, a twin brother, and a 
natural son of the king, Count 
Matthioli, minister of the Duke 
of Mantua, and M. de Marchiel, 
the head of a wide-spread con- 
spiracy against Louis XIV, 
while many other solutions of 
the problem have been put for- 
ward. 

Iron Tooth. 

The nickname of Frederick II, 
Elector of Brandenburg (1688- 
17 1 3). 
Ironclad Oath. 

The oath of office established 
by the United States Congress 
in 1 867 at the conclusion of the 
Civil War. It was designed to 
prevent the assumption of office 
by any possible enemy of the 
Union. 

Ironside. 

The nickname of Edmund, 
King of the English in 1016. 

Ironsides. 

Cromwell's Regiment of Horse 
was so called. 

Iskander Beg. 

The sobriquet of George 
Castriot, the Albanian patriot 



(141 4-67 ). Iskander is Alexan- 
der. 

Isabella Catolica, Order of. 

A Spanish order of knight- ? 
hood, instituted in 18 15, to re- 
ward those Spanish-Americans 
who remained faithful to the 
Crown during the Wars of 
Independence. 

Island of Saints. 

Ireland was so called in the 
Middle Ages. 

Italia Irredenta. 

Unredeemed Italy consists of 
those provinces and islands not 
included in the Kingdom of 
Italy which are racially or 
linguistically Italian. They are 
the Austrian provinces of 
Southern Tyrol, Gorz, Trieste, 
Istria and Dalmatia, the Swiss 
Canton of Ticino, the British 
island of Malta and the French 
island of Corsica. The Irre- 
dentists are a party whose aims 
are similar to those of the Pan- 
Slavists and Pan-Germans, and 
who desire to see these provinces, 
especially those belonging to 
Austria, added to the kingdom. 

Italy, Unification of. 

The work of Victor Emmanuel 
and his minister Cavour, aided 
by Garibaldi and his volun- 
teers. The Treaty of Zurich in 
1859 left Victor Emmanuel in 
possession of the whole of North 
ern Italy excepting the Venetian 
states east of the Mincio. The 
central states, Parma, Modena, 
etc., applied to be united to the 
kingdom in i860, while in the 
same year the South revolted 
against Francis II of Naples, 
and with the aid of Garibaldi 
the Bourbons were expelled, 
Victor Emmanuel being crowned 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 131 



King of Italy in 1861. The 
Venetian provinces were added 
to the kingdom by the Treaty of 
Prague in 1866, and in 1870, 
France withdrawing her support 
of the Pope, the King entered 
Rome and completed the eman- 
cipation of Italy. 



J 



Jacobites. 

The supporters of the House 
of Stuart after their expulsion 
from Great Britain. 

Jacquerie. 

The peasant rising in France 
in 1358 is so called from Jacques 
Bonhomme, the familiar name 
for a peasant. The revolt was 
most sanguinary, the peasants 
burning over 200 chateaux, and 
murdering indiscriminately all 
who refused to join them. 
Equally cruel reprisals followed 
the suppression of the insur- 
rection. 

Jaffa Massacre. 

The massacre by Napoleon in 
1799 of the Turkish garrison of 
Jaffa, who had surrendered as 
prisoners of war. 

Jamaica Bill. 

A bill suspending the con- 
stitution of Jamaica, brought in 
by the Melbourne Ministry in 
1839, in consequence of the 
House of Assembly refusing to 
put in force an Act for the better 
regulation of prisons in that 
island. The bill only passed 
the House of Commons by a 
majority of five, and Lord Mel- 
bourne resigned. 

Jameson Raid. 

An invasion of the Transvaal 



by the forces of the British 
South Africa Company in Jan- 
uary, 1896. Jameson acted on 
an undated letter, signed by 
certain members of the Johan- 
nesburg Reform Committee, 
summoning him to the aid of 
the Uitlanders. His raid, how- 
ever, was ill-timed, the Johan- 
nesburgers being unable to give 
him the assistance he counted 
on, and he was defeated by the 
hastily summoned Boer com- 
mandos. Cecil Rhodes was a 
party to the scheme, which was 
designed to overthrow the cor- 
rupt Boer Government. The 
Boers made the raid an excuse 
for increasing their armaments. 

Janissaries. 

A military force established 
about the middle of the four- 
teenth century by Amurath I, 
Sultan of Turkey. They were 
recruited from Christian youths 
captured in war, who were 
brought up in the Mohammedan 
faith and trained to arms. 

Jansenists. 

A sect or schism of Catholics, 
founded in France in the seven- 
teenth century, who strongly 
opposed the doctrinal and ethical 
teachings of the Jesuits. Their 
doctrines were based on the 
Augustinus of Cornelius Jan- 
sen, Bishop of Ypres, published 
after his death, which took place 
in 1638. Its adherents included 
such men as Arnauld and Pascal. 
Jansenism was finally declared 
heretical by the Bull Unigenitus 
in 1653. 

January, Edict of. 

An edict issued by Charles IX 
of France in January, 1562, 
setting forth the terms of paci- 
fication between the Huguenots 



132 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



and the Catholics as arrived at 
by a conference between the 
leaders of the two parties. 

Jarl. 

In the early Norse times the 
Jarl was a dignity conferred by 
the king upon chiefs of con- 
spicuous ability as leaders in 
war. The title was not heredi- 
tary. 

Jassy, Peace of. 

A treaty signed in 1792 by 
"Catherine II of Russia and the 
Sultan Selim III after a war 
rendered memorable by the suc- 
cesses of Potemkin and Suwar- 
row. Turkey surrendered Osza- 
kov, and the Dniester was fixed 
as the boundary line between 
the two empires. 

Jay's Treaty. 

The name given to the treaty 
between Great Britain and the 
United States in 1794, which 
provided for the surrender to the 
latter of the British military 
forts in the North-East and 
settled certain boundary and 
financial questions pending be- 
tween the signatories. 

Jedburgh Justice. 

The prompt measures taken by 
the Earl of Dunbar in the reign 
of James I and VI to punish 
border raiders at Jedburgh and 
other Scottish towns gave rise 
to this phrase. Raiders were 
hanged always, and tried if cir- 
cumstances permitted. "Cupar 
Justice" and "Burlaw" have the 
same meaning. 

Jehad. 

A holy war of Mohammedans 
against Christians is so called. 

Jenkin's Ear. 

One of the many stories of the 
illtreatment by the Spanish 



Guardia Costa of British sub- 
jects in the employment of the 
South Sea Company. These 
stories were utilized by the war 
party in Parliament to force the 
Government into war with Spain 
in 1738. War was in fact de- 
clared the following year. 

Jesuits. 

A religious order founded in 
1534 by Ignatius Loyola, a 
Spaniard, and sanctioned by 
Paul III in 1540. They have 
always endeavoured to lead and 
control public opinion, and to 
that end have taken an active 
part in education and in political 
intrigue, as well as in missionary 
work. The order was sup- 
pressed by Papal Bull in 1773, 
but revived in 18 14. 

Jerrymandering. 

The manipulation of electoral 
divisions in such a way as to 
give an undue advantage to on& 
political party. The word is 
said to be rightly Gerrymander- 
ing, and to be derived from 
Elbridge Gerry, Governor of 
Massachusetts in 18 12, who was 
the originator of the idea. 

Jerviswood Plot. 

A plot entered into by certain 
Scottish Presbyterian gentlemen, 
under the leadership of Lord 
Melville, the Earl of Tarras and 
Baillie of Jerviswood, to prevent 
the Duke of York succeeding to 
the throne on the death of 
Charles II. The plot was dis- 
covered owing to the failure of 
the Rye House Plot, and though 
Melville and other leaders made 
good their escape, Baillie was 
seized and executed in 1634. 

Jeu de Paume, Seance du. 

The famous session of the 
Tennis Court, on June 22, 1789, 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 133 



when the Deputies of the Na- 
tional Assembly, excluded from 
their regular place of meeting, 
took an oath that they would 
not separate, but would continue 
to meet when and where they 
could until they had promul- 
gated the new constitution. 

Jeunesse Doree. 

The gilded youth, or young 
men of Paris, who endeavoured 
to bring about the counter- 
revolution after the fall of 
Robespierre in 1794. 

Jewish Disabilities Acts. 

A series of Acts passed during 
the reign of Queen Victoria by 
which the disabilities under 
which the Jews laboured were 
gradually removed. In 1845 
they were admitted to ofhce in 
municipalities ; in 1846 they 
were placed on the same footing 
as Protestant Dissenters in 
respect of their schools, while by 
the alteration in the form of the 
Parliamentary oath in 1858 they 
were enabled to sit in Parlia- 
ment. 

Jews' Exchequer. 

A special court established by 
Richard I in 11 94 to hear cases 
in which Jews were concerned 
and to supervise their contribu- 
tions to the revenue. 

Jingoes. 

The war party in England 
during the Russo-Turkish war 
of 1877-78 were so called by 
their political opponents. The 
name arose from a music-hall 
song, sung by " The Great Mac- 
dermott," the chorus of which 
began " We don't want to fight, 
but by Jingo if we do." The 
term " Jingoism " is now ap- 
plied to aggressive Imperialism, 



Jo-I. 

The ultra-nationaHst party in 
Japan in the early days of the 
new regime. They were strongly 
opposed to the invasion of 
Western ideas. The name signi- 
fies " Expel the Barbarians." 

Jockey of Norfolk. 

The sobriquet of Sir John 
Howard, an adherent of Richard 
III. 

John Company. 

The East India Company was 
so called. 

Joinville, Treaty of. 

A secret treaty between the 
Guises and Philip II of Spain in 
1584, providing that the Car- 
dinal de Bourbon should suc- 
ceed Henri III, and that no 
heretic should ascend the throne 
or hold office in France. Philip 
undertook to advance 50,000 
crowns monthly for the pur- 
poses of the League, to be repaid 
on the accession of the CardinaL 

Joyeuse Entree. 

The ancient charter of Bra- 
bant, granted by Wenceslas of 
Luxemburg in the latter part of 
the fourteenth century. It pro- 
vided that no one should be pro- 
secuted except before the ordin- 
ary courts of law ; that no 
foreigner should hold office in 
the State ; that no alteration 
should be made in the status of 
the Church without the consent 
of the Estates, and that any 
breach of the Constitution by 
the prince should absolve his 
subjects from their allegiance. 
The charter was abrogated by 
Joseph II in 1789. 

Judicature Acts, 1873 and 1875. 

Bv these Acts a Supreme 
Court of Justice was created, in 
place of the various courts in 



134 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



existence dealing with various 
branches of the law. These 
Courts were made branches of the 
High Court of Justice. In the 
same way the varioiis appeal 
courts were brought into one 
general Court of Appeal, Cer- 
tain provincial jurisdictions were 
abolished, such as the Courts of 
Pleas of the Palatine counties of 
Lancaster and Durham. Pro- 
bate, Divorce and Admiralty 
were united in one division by the 
latter of the two Acts, 

Judenhetze. 

The anti-Jewish campaign, 
started in Berlin in 1880, See 
Anti-semitism, 

July, Government of. 

The reign of Louis Philippe 
(1830-48) is so called, as having 
been inaugurated by the Re- 
volution of July. 

July Laws. 

Two laws passed in July, 1883, 
modifying certain of the severer 
provisions of the Falk Laws. 

July, Revolution of. 

The revolution of 1830, which 
overthrew the Government of 
Charles X and established Louis 
Philippe on the throne, is so 
called. 

July, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed on July 15, 
1840, by Great Britain, Russia, 
Austria and Prussia, dictating 
terms to Mehemet Ali, Pasha of 
Egypt, which terms he was 
given ten days to accept. He 
was to retain the Pashalic of 
Egypt for himself ahd his de- 
scendants, and Acre for life, 
withdrawing from the rest of 
Syria and the Holy Land. This 
treaty was confirmed in 1841 by 
the Treaty of the Dardanelles. 



Junkers. 

The younger members of the 
aristocratic Conservative party 
in Prussia with whom Bismarck 
acted at the beginning of his 
political life. 

Junius, Letters of. 

A series of letters issued 
anonymously from 1769 onwards, 
attacking the King and the 
Grafton Ministry with extra- 
ordinary vigour, and full of 
literary merit. The authorship of 
these letters remains a mystery, 
but they are generally attributed 
to Sir Philip Francis. 

Junta. 

In Spain, an assembly of per- 
sons, whether legally summoned 
or self-constituted, exercising 
legislative or administrative 
functions. The Junta of 1808, 
which represented those portions 
of Spain not under the rule of 
Joseph Buonaparte, is one of the 
best known. 

Junta Apostolica. 

A Junta formed in Spain in 
1824, under Saez, to carry out 
to the full the principles of 
absolutism and ecclesiastical 
domination. For some time the 
Junta practically ruled Spain. 

Junto. 

The chiefs of the Whig party, 
and leaders of the Ministry 
formed in 1696. They were 
Somers, Russell, Halifax and 
Wharton. 

Junto, Presbyterian. 

The name given to the Sons of 
Liberty by the Royalist party 
in America in 1765. 

Jurandes. 

Committees of the trade 
guilds in France, appointed to 
supervise the operatiqns of the 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 135 



members of the guild, with 
special reference to the granting 
of apprenticeships and the pay- 
ment of the necessary fees 
thereupon. The regulations of 
these guilds were often exceed- 
ingly oppressive. 

Jury, Trial by. 

The origin of the system is 
probably to be found in the 
Assize of Clarendon in 1166, by 
which it was enacted that twelve 
men should be appointed from 
each hundred to present crimin- 
als for trial by ordeal. They 
were sworn to determine the 
value of the charge, and could 
commit or release the accused. 
By Magna Charta, the right of 
every Englishman to be tried by 
his peers is expressly stipulated. 

Jus Magdeburgicum. 

The local law of Magdeburg, 
a free city of Germany. It was 
composed partly of Saxon cus- 
tom and partly of ancient local 
usages, and was adopted in many 
of the Slav countries. 

Justice, Charter of. 

A charter issued by Canning's 
Government in 1828 providing 
for the reorganization of the 
judicial system in Cape Colony, 
and regulating other matters 
connected with the Government. 
It abolished the Heemraden, and 
instituted courts in which all 
the pleadings were to be in 
English. It was superseded in 
1834 by an amended charter, 
whereby, among other changes, 
ignorance of English was no 
onger to be held a bar to jury 
service. 

Justiciary. 

Under the Norman kings this 
functionary was the President 
of the Curia Regis and the king's 



representative and regent during 
his absence from the realm. 

Justinian, Code of. 

A codification of the Roman 
law, carried out by Tribonianus 
by order of Justinian in 529. 

Justiza. 

The supreme judge in the 
kingdom of Aragon. He was 
appointed by the Cortes, and 
was the final interpreter of the 
laws, even the king being obHged 
to consult him in doubtful cases. 
He was the ultimate court of 
appeal in all cases, and had 
himself the right to initiate 
prosecutions. 

Jutland, Law of. 

The code of law presented to 
a Danish National Assembly by 
Waldemar II (Seir) of Denmark, 
and confirmed in 1241. This 
remained the law of the whole of 
Denmark till the reign of 
Christian V (1670- 1699). 



K 

Kabbeljaws. 

The party of the towns, in the 
Netherlands, in the fourteenth 
century. The word signifies 
" Codfish-jaws," and the op- 
posing party, that of the nobles, 
was known as the " Hooks." 

Kaiser Klas. 

The German nickname for 
Napoleon. 

Kalf-vel. 

A document issued by Charles 
V curtailing the privileges of the 
city of Ghent. 

Kanaka Labour Traffic. 

In the early eighties attention 
was attracted to the methods 
of the " Blackbirders," or ships 



136 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



engaged in supplying Kanaka 
labourers for the Queensland 
sugar plantations. The captain 
of the Hopeful was brought to 
trial for kidnapping, and the 
disclosures in the case caused the 
Government to appoint a com- 
mission in 1884 to investigate 
the whole question. It was 
found that kidnapping was much 
more general than was thought, 
and in all the instances which 
were brought to light the natives 
were returned to their islands, 
and the planters compensated 
for the loss of their services. 

Kansas-Nebraska Act. 

An Act of Congress passed in 
1854 by which Kansas and 
Nebraska were admitted to the 
Union as territories. This Act 
was a breach of the Missouri 
Compromise, as it left it to each 
of the new territories to settle 
the question of slavery within 
its borders. 

Karl. 

Among the Norsemen the 
holders of Odal or freehold land 
were so called. 

Karmathians. 

A Moslem sect, taking their 
name from Karmath, a disciple 
of Babek, whose leading tenets 
were the indifference of all 
human actions and the non- 
existence of private property. 
The Karmathians first appeared 
in 890, and it is said that a 
hundred battles were fought 
before they were exterminated. 
They were at one time in pos- 
session of Mecca. 

Keate Award. 

The award, in 1 871, of Mr. 
R. W. Keate, Lieutenant-Gover- 
nor of Natal, on the territorial 
questions pending between the 



South African Republic and 
various native chiefs, amongst 
others Waterboer, Mankoroane, 
and Montsiwa. It practically 
endorsed the native claims, and 
is specially important as having 
enabled Great Britain at a later 
date to annex Bechuanaland, 
thus opening a way to the centre 
of the continent, and rendering 
possible the colonization of 
Rhodesia. 

Kenilworth, Dictum of. 

A proclamation of Henry III 
in 1267, after the final overthrow 
of Simon de Montfort, wherein 
the king reaffirmed Magna 
Charta and restored to their 
lands those of the barons who 
had been dispossessed, on pay- 
ment of a solatium to the then 
holders. 

Kelly Gang. 

A famous gang of bushrangers 
which infested the north-eastern 
part of New South Wales from 
1878 to 1880. Towards the end 
of the latter year they were hunt- 
ed down by the police. In the 
fight which followed the whole 
gang were killed except their 
leader, Ned Kelly, who was cap- 
tured and hanged. 

Kentish Petition. 

A petition from the Grand 
Jury of Kent, presented to 
Parliament in 1701, praying the 
House to abstain from the 
prosecution of personal ven- 
geance and to give its attention 
to the needs of the country. 

Kentucky Resolutions. 

A series of resolutions passed 
by the Kentucky Legislature in 
1798, declaring the Alien and 
Sedition Laws unconstitutional, 
and asserting the doctrine of 
State Rights. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 137 



Kenyon-Slaney Clause. 

A clause introduced into the 
Education Act of 1902, on the 
motion of Colonel Kenyon- 
Slaney. It provides that in all 
voluntary schools taken over 
by the new education authority 
the religious teaching shall be in 
accordance with the provisions 
of the trust deed, and be under 
the control of the managers. 
The object of the clause is to 
prevent a clergyman of extreme 
views forcing upon a school a 
form of doctrinal instruction 
contrary, to the generally re- 
ceived teaching of the Church of 
England. 

Kerns. 

Mercenary troops, partly Irish 
and partly Scotch, maintained 
by the petty Irish chieftains, and 
employed in their inter-tribal 
wars up to the time of EHzabeth. 
They were also known as "Gal- 
lowglasses." 

Ket's Rebellion. 

A rising of the peasantry 
against the landed gentry, led 
by Ket, a tanner, in 1549. He 
collected some 16,000 followers 
in a camp near Norwich, and 
established a tribunal, on which 
he sat, with the Mayor of Nor- 
wich, to try obnoxious gentle- 
men. The rebellion was sup- 
pressed by the Earl of Warwick, 
and Ket and other leaders 
hanged. 

Keys, House of. 

The Lower House of the Isle of 
Man legislature. 

Keystone State. 

A name given to the State of 
Pennsylvania, as being the 
central State of the thirteen 
originally forming the Union. 



Khalsa. 

The Sikh Commonwealth in 
the Punjaub was known by this 
name. 

Khozain. 

The head of a household in the 
Russian Mir or village com- 
munity. Before the emancipa- 
tion of the serfs in 1861 the 
family generally owned all pro- 
perty in common, those who 
went to work in the towns send- 
ing a proportion of their wages 
to the common stock. The 
Khozain was the administrator 
of the general fund. 

Kiel, Peace of. 

A treaty between Sweden and 
Denmark signed in 18 14, after 
the expulsion of the Danes from 
Holstein by Bernadotte. Den- 
mark surrendered Norway to the 
Crown of Sweden, reserving^ 
however, Greenland, Iceland 
and the Faroe Islands, which 
had been considered appanages 
of the Norwegian Crown. 

Kilkenny, Convention of. 

A convention of the prelates, 
nobles and commons of Ireland 
held in 1338. It presented a 
petition of grievances to Ed- 
ward III, complaining of the 
neglect by his lieutenants of the 
fortified places, whereby they 
suffered from the raids of the 
Irish ; of the corruption pre- 
vailing amongst the royal offi- 
cers ; of their absenteeism, and 
of the misrepresentation which 
the petitioners had suffered at 
their hands. 

Kilkenny, Council of. 

A council of twenty-four 
members formed in 1642 to 
organize the Irish Catholics in 
support of the royal cause 
during the Civil War. 



138 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Kilkenny^ Statute of. 

A statute passed in 1367 by 
which the English colonists in 
Ireland were forbidden under 
penalty of high treason to inter- 
marry with the Irish, to present 
an Irishman to a Church living, 
or to offer hospitality to an Irish 
bard or minstrel. 

Kilkenny, Synod of. 

A synod of the Irish bishops 
and other Church dignitaries, 
held in 1642 at the commence- 
ment of the Great Rebellion, to 
form a provisional government. 
It established the Council of 
Kilkenny. 

Kilmainham Treaty. 

A supposed agreement be- 
tween Mr. Gladstone and Mr. 
Parnell (then a prisoner in Kil- 
mainham Gaol), negotiated by 
Mr.O'Sheain 1882. by which Par- 
nell undertook, if released, to use 
all his influence in the suppression 
of agrarian crime. Both parties 
stoutly denied the existence of 
any compact, but the matter 
gave rise to stormy debates in 
the House of Commons, and 
many wild stories were current 
as to the terms of the agreement. 

Kimberley Riots. 

A series of disturbances in 
1884 due to the opposition of the 
employes in the diamond mines 
at Kimberley to the Search Act^ 
passed in 1882 with the object 
of checking illicit diamond buy- 
ing. 

King of the Commons. 

A sobriquet of James V of 
Scotland. 

King Philip's War. 

The name given to a rising of 
the Wampanoags, an Indian 
tribe, in 1675, with the object of 



exterminating the white settlers 
in New England. The war 
lasted over a year, with much 
destruction of property, but 
finally the Indians were de- 
feated and their leader, Philip, 
shot. 

King's Friends. 

The name given to the secret 
advisei's of George III in his 
attempts to restore the royal 
prerogative to its old position 
in the State. They were mainly 
Tories, though drawn from both 
parties, and their leader was the 
Earl of Bute. 

King's Prymer. 

A book of the ritual of the 
Church of England, issued in 
1545 by the authority of Henry 
VIII, and containing the Ser- 
vices for the Hours. It is the 
basis of all subsequent prymers, 
including those of Edward VI 
and Elizabeth. 

Kingmaker, The. 

The sobriquet of Neville, Earl 
of Warwick (1428-71), the most 
prominent figure in the Wars of 
the Roses. 

Kinmont Willie. 

The nickname of William 
Armstrong, the famous border 
raider. He was the hero of a 
celebrated rescue at the hands 
of the Lord of Buccleugh in 1 596, 
having been captured by the 
English and confined in Carlisle 
Castle. 

Kirke's Lambs. 

The troopers of Colonel Kirke, 
who was in command at Bridg- 
water after the suppression of 
Monmouth's rebellion. Their 
barbarous treatment of their 
prisoners and of suspected ad- 
herents of Monmouth hardly fell 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 139 



behind the judicial cruelties of 
Jeffreys. Their name was iron- 
ically derived from the Lamb, 
their regimental badge. 

Kit-Kat Club. 

A club formed by certain 
prominent Whig politicians in 
1793 to promote the principles 
of the French Revolution. Wal- 
pole, Steele and Addison were 
among its members. 

Kitchen Cabinet. 

The name given by their poli- 
tical opponents to the unofficial 
advisers of Andrew Jackson, 
Pi^esident of the United States 
from 1829 to 1837. Among 
them were Amos Kendall, Isaac 
Hill and F. P. Blair. 

Knighthood, Orders of. 

See Alcantara, Alexander, 
Annunziata, Bath, Black Eagle, 
Calatrava, Dannebrog, Elephant, 
Garter, Golden Fleece, Holy 
Sepulchre, Hospitallers, Iron 
Cross, Isabella, Legion of 
Honour, Livonian, Malta, Mon- 
tesa. Our Lady, Rhodes, St. 
Andrew, St. Esprit, St. Hubert, 
St. Lazare, St. Patrick, Santiago, 
Templars, Teutonic, Thistle. 

Knight's Fee. 

The extent of land the holding 
of which qualified for knight- 
hood in feudal times. The 
amount is uncertain, but it is 
thought to have been an annual 
value of twenty pounds. 

Knights of Labour. 

A society for the protection 
of workmen, founded in 1869 at 
Philadelphia by Uriah S. Stevens. 
It has become one of the most 
powerful labour organizations 
of the world, and claims a mem- 
bership of 200,000. 



Knights of the Shire. 

The representatives of the 
counties in the early Parlia- 
ments. They were elected in 
the Shire Courts, which all the 
freeholders of the county were 
entitled to attend. 

Know-Nothings. 

A political party formed in 
America in 1 8 5 5 . Their essential 
tenet was the necessity of keep- 
ing the Government in the hands 
of genuine Americans, and with 
this object they proposed a 
twenty-one years' residence as a 
qualification for naturalization. 
The party was short-lived, 
scarcely surviving the presi- 
dential election of 1856. 

Kongelov. 

The Royal Law, a new Danish 
Constitution promulgated in 
1660, proclaiming an hereditary 
instead of an elective monarchy. 
The administration was confided 
to certain bureaux whose mem- 
bers were appointed by the king. 

Kossuthists. 

The modern National party 
in Hungary. They take their 
name from the famous patriot of 
the War of Independence of 
1848, and his son, who is one of 
the leaders of the existing party. 

Kreuz Partie. 

The party of the Cross, under 
whose influence Frederick 
William IV of Prussia lay during 
the latter years of his reign. 
Their policy included a closer 
union with Russia and Austria, 
and a tacit resistance to the more 
liberal ideas of Western Europe. 

Kshatriya. 

The second or military caste 
among the Hindoos. 



I40 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Ku Klux Klan. 

An organization formed in the 
Southern States, after the Ameri- 
can Civil War, to coerce the 
coloured people and their sym- 
pathisers and prevent them 
recording their votes. It be- 
came so powerful that a strin- 
gent Act, known as the Ku Klux 
Act, was passed by Congress in 
1 87 1, inflicting heavy penalties 
on all convicted of belonging to 
this and similar associations. 

Kuldja Treaty. 

A treaty between Russia and 
China, negotiated in 1880 after 
the suppression of the Moham- 
medan revolt in Western China, 
during which the Russians had 
held and administered Kuldja. 
It provided for the retention by 
Russia of the most valuable part 
of Kuldja, including the Tekes 
Valley and the passes into 
Kashgaria and Yarkand. It 
further stipulated that Russia 
should enjoy the use of an over- 
land route to Hankow for 
Russian merchants, and the free 
navigation of the Sungari River, 
which practically opened the 
whole of Manchuria to Russian 
trade. Chang How, who had 
negotiated this treaty, was dis- 
graced, and China refused to 
ratify it. In 188 1, however, a 
second treaty was concluded, 
and eventually ratified, by which 
Russia retroceded the whole of 
Kuldja, the other stipulations 
of the treaty of 1880 remaining 
practically unaltered. 

Kulterkampf. 

The crusade in Germany 
against the Pope and the Ultra- 
montanes,who were looked upon 
as the foes of civil as well as 
religious liberty. After the issue 
of the Vatican Decree on Papal 



Infallibility many of the bishops 
attempted to force the dogma 
upon university professors and 
others holding State appoint- 
ments, and their high-handed 
interference in this and other 
ways led to the enacting of the 
Falk Laws. The conflict lasted 
over ten years. 
Kurucz. 

The name given to the fol- 
lowers of Dozsa, Tokoli and 
Rakoczy in the various risings of 
the Hungarians against Austrian 
rule which they headed. It 
means the wearers of the Cross, 
or Crusaders. 

Kutchuk-Kainardji, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Catherine II 
of Russia and the Sultan Abdul- 
Hamed, signed in 1774, after the 
occupation by the Russians of 
Crim-Tartary, Moldavia and 
Wallachia. Turkey surrendered 
the Crimea, Azov and Taganrog, 
and by the seventh clause of the 
treaty undertook to protect the 
Christian religion and its 
churches, and to permit the 
Russian Minister to make at all 
times representations on behalf 
of the new church in Constanti- 
nople, such representations to 
be taken into consideration as 
proceeding from a sincerely 
friendly Power. In this clause 
lay the germ of the Crimean War, 
for Russia interpreted it as 
giving her the right to interfere 
for the protection of all Chris- 
tians of the Greek Church in the 
Turkish Empire. 



La Gran j a, Revolution of. 

The revolution by which 
Queen Christina of Spain was 
compelled in 1836 to restore the 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 141 



constitution of 18 12 which had 
been abrogated by Ferdinand. 

Labancz. 

The name given to their oppo- 
nents by the Hungarians under 
Tokoli and Rakoczy in 1678 
and 1704 respectively. It sig- 
nifies the " foot people," the 
Magyars being almost all 
mounted men. 

Labour, American Federation of. 

A labour organization founded 
at Columbus, Ohio, in 1886, and 
now claiming to have over 
600,000 members. 

Labourers, Statute of. 

A statute passed in the reign 
of Edward III, after the Black 
Death in 1348. This pestilence 
had made labour scarce, and 
labourers were demanding exor- 
bitant wages. It was enacted 
that all labourers should be com- 
pelled to serve their former 
masters and for the same wage 
that they had received before 
the plague. 

Lackland. 

, The nickname of King John, 
given him because he received 
no fiefs from his father. 

Lady of the Mercians. 

^thelfled, daughter of Alfred 
the Great, was so called. 

Lagthing. 

See Storthing. 

Lahore, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1846, at the 
end of the first Sikh War, by 
which Dhulip Singh was recog- 
nized as Rajah of the Punjaub. 
The Sikhs surrendered the Doab 
to the British. 

Laibach, Congress of. 

A congress of the European 



Powers held in 1821, at which 
armed intervention to suppress 
the Republican risings in Naples 
and Piedmont was decided upon. 

Laissez Faire. 

A phrase used by a French 
merchant to Colbert, who asked 
him in what way he could aid 
trade. The meaning of the reply 
is " Leave us alone," and the 
phrase has become the watch- 
word of the freetraders and 
those who oppose Government 
interference. 

Lake State. 

The popular name of the State 
of Michigan, U.S.A. It is so 
called because it borders on 
Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie 
and Superior. 

Lambeth Articles. 

A series of nine articles, em- 
bodying the Galvinistic doctrine, 
drawn up in 1595 by Archbishop 
Whitgift. They were not, how- 
ever, approved by the Queen, 
and were consequently never 
enforced. 

Lambeth, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Henry HI 
and Louis the Dauphin, signed 
in 1 2 17, after the Fair of 
Lincoln. It provided for the 
immediate departure of Louis 
and his troops for France, an 
interchange of prisoners, and a 
general amnesty. 

Lancaster, County Palatine of. 

Lancaster was created a Pala- 
tine County by Edward HI in 
1351, and granted by him to 
John of Gaunt. It became 
Crown property on the accession 
of Henry IV, and has so re- 
mained. The Judicature Act of 
1873, however, withdrew all the 
existing judicial privileges ex- 



142 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



cepting those of the Chancery 
Court. The Chancellor of the 
Duchy is a member of the 
Government, and is frequently 
in the Cabinet. 

Land Act, 1864. 

An Act passed by the Legis- 
lature of New South Wales, by 
which half the land in the 
occupation of the squatters was 
reserved to them on a twenty- 
one years' tenure and the re- 
maining half thrown open to 
selection by bond fide settlers. 

Land Commission. 

A Commission established by 
the Irish Land Act of 188 1. It 
was empowered to appoint sub- 
commissioners to sit as land 
courts for the purpose of fixing 
fair rents. 

Land Convention. 

An association formed in 
Victoria in 1857 to oppose the 
Haines Land Bill and advocate 
Free Selection. Its leaders were 
Wilson Gray and Sir George 
Stephen. 

Land League. 

An Irish organization, founded 
by Michael Davitt in 1879, with 
the object of driving out the 
landlords and establishing a 
peasant proprietary in Ireland. 
The agrarian outrages in which 
its members were implicated 
led to its being proclaimed an 
illegal association, and it was 
suppressed in 1881. 

Landamman. 

The chief magistrate in the 
Forest Cantons of Switzerland, 
elected by the Landsgemeinde. 

Landdrost. 

A local magistrate in Dutch 
South Africa. The first official 
bearing this title was appointed 



to Stellenbosch in 1685. In 
addition to his judicial duties, 
he had the superintendence of 
the Dutch East India Company's 
farms and outlying stations. 
He also presided over the Heem- 
raden. The office was abolished 
in British South Africa in 1832, 
but in the independent Dutch 
States it has existed up to the 
present time (1903). 

Landeyda. 

The raven banner of the 
Danes. The word means " Deso- 
lation of the Country." 

Landfriede. 

In mediaeval Germany the 
peace of the land, or freedom 
from private war, was so called. 
Many edicts were issued to 
secure it, but it was rarely 
attained. 

Land-fyrd. 

The general levy of fighting 
men in Anglo-Saxon times. 
The origin of the Militia. 

Landrecht. 

The codification of Prussian 
law, otherwise known as the 
Code Frederic, published in 
175 1 under the auspices of 
Frederick the Great. 

Landrica. 

In Saxon times,* a wealthy 
landowner, who acted as the 
King's representative within the 
limits of his district, and had 
jurisdiction over the smaller 
freeholders. His position was 
in fact somewhat similar to that 
of a feudal baron. 

Landsgemeinde. 

The ancient popular assembly 
in the Forest Cantons of Switzer- 
land. Every male above the 
age of sixteen had access to it. 
It elected the chief magistrate 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 143 



(Landamman), levied taxes, 
and exercised judicial functions. 

Landstag. 

The Prussian Paxliament. 

Landsturm. 

The final reserve of the 
German and Austrian armies. 
It can only be called out in 
times of emergency. 

Landsthing. 
See Rigsdag. 

Landtmanna Party. 

The country party in the 
Swedish Parliament. Originally 
it was composed almost entirely 
of landowners, but latterly the 
peasants have become the more 
powerful section of it. 

Landwehr. 

The first reserve of the 
German and Austrian armies. 

Langue d'Oc. 

In old France the language of 
the southern provinces, from 
which the province of Langue- 
doc took its name. In its modern 
form of Provencal it is little 
better than a patois, though 
there has been some attempt 
to revive it as a literary language 
during the nineteenth century. 

Langue d'Oil. 

The language of the northern 
provinces of France, and the 
parent of modern French. It 
contains a much larger ad- 
mixture of Teutonic roots than 
the Langue d'Oc, though its 
grammatical form is Latin. 

Last Battle. 

The Battle of CuUoden, fought 
in 1746, is so called as being the 
last iDattle fought on British 
soil. 



Last of the Barons. 

A sobriquet of Richard 
Neville, Earl of Warwick 
(1428-1471). 

Last of the Knights. 

A nickname of Maximilian, 
Emperor of Germany (1493- 
1519). 

Last of the Stuarts. 

Henry Stuart, Cardinal York, 
the last male descendant of 
the Stuart Kings, was so called. 
He died in 1807. 

Last of the Tribunes. 

Colas de Rienzi, who was 
chosen tribune by the citizens 
of Rome in 1347, was so called. 
He was also known as the " Last 
of the Romans." 

Lanterne, La. 

The Extremists or Robespierre 
Section of the Mountain, in 
the French Convention. Their 
denunciation by Danton and 
Camille Desmoulins led to the 
condemnation and execution of 
the Dantonists in x\pril 1794. 

Lateran Council, First. 

A Council summoned by 
Calixtus II in 1123. It is 
notable as being the first 
(Ecumenical Council whose de- 
crees were issued in the name 
of the Pope, and not in that of 
the Council. 

Lateran Council, Second. 

An (Ecumenical Council sum- 
moned by Innocent II in 11 39, 
at which the marriage of the 
priesthood was forbidden. 

Lateran Council, Fourth. 

A Council summoned to meet 
in Rome by Innocent III, in 
12 1 5, to consider the most 
effectual means of suppressing 
heresy. It declared that any 



144 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



prince protecting heretics or 
permitting the dissemination of 
heretical doctrines in his domin- 
ions should be excommunicated. 
It further established the In- 
quisition, to deal with heretics 
individually, 

Lateran Council, Fifth. 

An (Ecumenical Council 
summoned by Julius II, in 
1 5 12, at which the acts of the 
Council of Pisa were con- 
demned. 

Latin Union. 

A confederation, for mone- 
tary purposes, of France, Italy, 
Switzerland and Belgium, 
formed in 1865. It provided 
for the establishment of a uni- 
form and interchangeable coin- 
age, on a bimetallic basis, for 
the countries concerned. Greece 
joined the union in 1868. Bel- 
gium left it in 1885. 

Latitudinarians. 

A party in the English Church 
in the seventeenth century, who 
stood midway between the ex- 
treme Episcopal and the Puritan 
parties. It was the prototype 
of the modern Broad Church. 

Latter Day Saints. 

The proper name of the sect 
generally known as Mormons. 

Lautero, Sociedad de. 

A secret society formed in 
Spain at the beginning of the 
nineteenth century, to aid the 
movement of the Spanish- 
American colonies in the direc- 
tion of independence. 

Lawburrows, Writ of. 

A writ, in Scottish law, by 
which any person who made oath 
that he went in fear of violence 
from his neighbour, could have 
him bound over to keep the 



peace. This legal form was 
used in 1678 against the gentry 
of the West, who had refused 
to enter into a bond binding 
themselves and all their de- 
pendents to abstain from active 
sympathy with the Covenanters. 

Law of Flanders. 

A law of Charles the Good, 
Earl of Flanders, decreeing that 
any one who married a serf 
became a serf. 

Law's Bubble. 

See Mississippi Scheme. 

Lay Impropriator. 

A layman in receipt of tithes, 
an ecclesiastical form of revenue. 
The lay impropriator originated 
in grants of lands made by 
abbeys and other Church com- 
munities to powerful laymen, 
in exchange for their protection. 

League. 

The League, also called the 
Catholic League, was formed 
by the Guises in 1577, ostensibly 
to promote the ascendency of 
Catholicism, and to oppose the 
concessions granted to the Re- 
formed Faith by Henri II of 
France. Secretly, however, it 
contemplated the deposition of 
the Valois dynasty, and the 
placing of a Guise on the 
throne. {See Joinville, Treaty 
of.) 

League above the Lake. 

A league of the Cantons of 
St. Gall and Appenzell with the 
towns of the Rheinthal, formed 
in 1405. It was broken up in 
1408, Appenzell being defeated 
at Bregenz by the burghers of 
Constance and the Suabian 
nobles. 

Leagues, Associations, etc. 

See Afrikander, Agrarian, Al- 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 145 



banian, Anti-Corn Law, Anti- 
Semitism, Armed Neutrality, 
Association, Australasian, Bal- 
larat. Bar, Barons, British Em- 
pire, Brunnen, Burgfrieden, 
Cambray, Catholic, Centro- 
Americana, Chinandega, Cle- 
mentine, Cognac, Coloured, Con- 
federate, Eight Cantons, Equa- 
dor, Frankfort, Fiirstenbund, 
Germanada, Germanic, Golden, 
Gotteshausbund, Grey, Han- 
seatic, Hermandad, Holy, 

Irish National, Land, Liberal, 
Lombard, Nationalverein, Per- 
petual, Pilsen, Poor Conrad, 
Presburg, Protestant, Reform- 
verein. Reuse, Rhenish, Rhine, 
Rome, Sandomierz, Santa Jun- 
ta, Schmalkald, Seven Cantons, 
Six Cities, Sonderbund, Suabian, 
Targowitz, Ten Jurisdictions, 
Thirteen Cantons, Torgau, Tri- 
umvirate, Tuscany, United Irish, 
Utrecht, Venice, White, Wiirtz- 
burg. 

Leap in the Dark. 

This phrase was applied to 
Disraeli's Reform Bill of 1867 
by Lord Cranbourne, and was 
afterwards adopted by Lord 
Derby as an accurate descrip- 
tion of the course the Govern- 
ment was taking. 

Learned Fool. 

James I of England was called 
by Sully the most learned fool 
in Christendom. 

Lebanon Massacres. 

An outbreak between the 
Druses and the Maronites having 
occurred in i860, the Turkish 
authorities compelled the latter 
to lay down their arms, under 
promise of protection. This 
they failed to afford, and the 
Druses attacked the Maronite 
villages, and massacred hun- 



dreds. Later in the year, the 
fanatical anti-Christian spirit 
spread to Damascus, and the 
Christian quarter of the town 
was sacked, over two thousand 
Christians perishing at the 
hands of the Moslems, without 
any attempt at interference on 
the part of the Turkish Gover- 
nor. A European Convention 
was held, and France and 
England were entrusted by the 
Powers with the task of restoring 
order in the disturbed districts. 
This they accomplished, and 
forced upon the Sultan the 
appointment of a Christian 
Governor in the Lebanon. 

Legacy of lyeyasu. 

A document left by the 
Shogun lyeyasu, founder of the 
Tokugawa dynasty of Shoguns, 
in 1598, as a guide to his suc- 
cessors in the conduct of affairs. 

Legations. 

The provinces of Bologna, 
Ferrara and Romagna, over 
which the Popes claimed sover- 
eign rights. They were sur- 
rendered to France by the 
Treaty of Tolentino in 1797. 

Legion Memorial. 

A memorial drawn up by 
Defoe, in support of the Kentish 
Petition in 1701. 

Legion of Despair. 

An armed band of Frisian 
peasants, some thousands in 
number, who rose in revolt in 
1580, being exasperated beyond 
endurance by the license of the 
States' soldiery. Though well- 
drilled and led, they were unable 
to stand against the veterans 
of the Count of Hohenlohe, by 
whom they were defeated and 
dispersed. 



146 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Legion of Honour. 

The only existing French 
order of knighthood, instituted 
by Napoleon, when First Consul, 
in 1802. Though military in 
form, it is open to civilians. 

Legitimists. 

The supporters of the claims 
of the Bourbon branch of the 
Royal House of France from 
1814 to 1883. On the death of 
the Comte de Chambord with- 
out issue in the latter year, 
they transferred their allegiance 
to the Orleans branch, with the 
exception of a small section, 
known as the Blancs d'Espagne, 
who support the Spanish Bour- 
bons as the rightful occupiers 
of the throne of France. 

L6man, Republique du. 

The name assumed by the 
State of Vaud when she revolted 
from the Canton of Berne in 

1798. 

Lesser Bull, The. 

A Bull, the authenticity of 
which is somewhat doubtful, 
issued by Boniface VIII against 
Philip IV of France, shortly 
before the issue of the Bull 
" Ausculta Fili." It is couched 
in somewhat milder terms than 
the latter, but is of similar 
tenour, 

Lessive du Panama. 
See Panama Scandal. 

Letters of Marque. 

Commissions granted by a 
belligerent to private indi- 
viduals, authorizing them to 
arm ships for the purpose of 
capturing merchant vessels fly- 
ing the enemy's flag. This right 
was abolished by the Treaty of 
Paris in 1856. 



Letters of the Sepulchre. 

The laws and ordinances of 
Godefroi de Bouillon, King of 
Jerusalem, were so called. 

Lettres de Cachet. 

Warrants of arrest, issued by 
the French Kings, or their 
Ministers, under which persons 
obnoxious to the Court could 
be imprisoned indefinitely with- 
out being brought to trial. 

Levellers (England). 

Originally a religious sect, 
but later a political organization 
under the Commonwealth. They 
held extreme communistic views, 
and in 1649 their propagandism 
in the ranks of the army led 
to numerous mutinies. They 
were, however, ruthlessly sup- 
pressed by Cromwell, and after 
the loss of their leaders gave 
little further trouble. 

Levellers (Ireland). 

The name given to agrarian 
bands, first formed in Limerick 
in 1 761, who tore down the 
fences with which the commons 
had been enclosed. They were 
afterwards known as White- 
boys, from the white shirts they 
wore over their other garments. 

Lewes, Mise of. 

An agreement between Henry 
III and Simon de Montfort, 
as leader of the Barons, after 
the defeat of the King at Lewes 
in 1264, by which the questions 
in dispute between the King and 
the Barons were to be submitted 
to the arbitration of a court 
composed of two Frenchmen 
and one Englishman. 

Libel Act. 

An Act passed in 1791, trans- 
ferring from the judge to the 
jury the duty of deciding 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 147 



whether a statement was hbel- 
lous or not. 

Liberal League. 

A league formed in 1902, 
composed of Liberals who follow 
Lord Rosebery in his attitude 
with regard to the Boer War, 
and on Imperial questions gener- 
ally. 

Liberal Republicans. 

A section of the Republican 
party in the United States, who 
favoured more tolerant treat- 
ment of the Southern States, 
and opposed the re-election of 
General Grant in 1872. They 
nominated Horace Greeley for 
President, but were disastrously 
defeated at the polls, and ceased 
thereupon to exercise any poli- 
tical influence. 

Liberal Unionists. 

The section of the Liberal 
party who seceded from Mr. 
Gladstone on the introduction 
of the Home Rule Bill in 1886. 
They have since acted with the 
Conservatives on most ques- 
tions, and in 1895 their leaders 
accepted office under a Con- 
servative Prime Minister. 

Liberator, The. 

Daniel O'Connell was so 
called. 

Libertador, El. 

Simon Bolivar, the Liberator, 
was so called. He headed the 
revolt of the Spanish-American 
colonies which broke out in 
1 8 10, taking the field in 1813. 
After successively freeing New 
Granada and Venezuela, he 
finally drove the Spaniards 
from Peru, Callao, the last for- 
tress in their hands falling in 
January 1826. 



Libertins (France), 

A sect of free-thinkers and 
hedonists in France, circ. 1730. 

Libertins (Switzerland). 

The party who opposed the 
extreme stringency of the Cal- 
vinistic doctrine in Geneva, 
in 1 541. They were severely 
handled by the Consistorium. 

Liberty, Apostle of. 

The nickname of Henry Clay, 
the American statesman, who 
ardently supported the South 
American States in their struggle 
for independence in 1820. 

Liberum Veto. 

A provision in the ancient 
Polish constitution, giving every 
member of the Diet the right 
of vetoing a proposition under 
discussion. In other words, 
complete unanimity was neces- 
sary to effect any legislation 
whatever. 

Libro de Tasas. 

A code of laws, based on the 
ancient system of the Incas, 
prepared by Francisco de 
Toledo, Viceroy of Peru from 
1569 to 1580. This code deter- 
mined the principles on which 
Peru was ruled by subsequent 
viceroys. 

Licensing Act, 1902. 

An Act to amend the licensing 
laws, passed in 1902. Its most 
important provisions are those 
dealing with habitual drunkards, 
who after successive convictions 
are placed on a black list, which 
prevents their obtaining any 
alcoholic liquor for three years, 
and those compelhng the regis- 
tration of all clubs where 
alcohol is sold, and their sub- 
jection to police supervision. 



148 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Ligurian Republic. 

A republic, with Genoa as its 
capital, established by Napo- 
leon in 1797. It was made a 
French Department in 1802. 

Likln. 

A system of inland duties, 
levied at various points on the 
waterways and trade routes of 
China, greatly hampering the 
inland trade. The duties are 
farmed out to the Mandarins, 
who make large incomes out 
of their collection. By the 
Anglo-Chinese Convention of 
1902, these duties are to be 
abolished, subject to the consent 
of the other Powers having 
commercial treaties with China. 

Limerick, Pacification of. 

The terms accorded to the 
Irish by William III after the 
second siege of Limerick in 
1 69 1. To all Irish of&cers and 
soldiers who so desired, permis- 
sion was given to withdraw to 
France, while the others were 
amnestied and allowed to re- 
turn to their homes. To all 
other Catholics William re- 
stored the privileges accorded 
them by Charles II, and granted 
a complete amnesty, on con- 
dition of their taking the oath 
of allegiance. 

Lincoln, Fair of. 

The defeat of the revolted 
Barons and the forces of Louis, 
the Dauphin of France, by Pem- 
broke, in the streets of Lincoln 
in 1216. 

Lincolnshire Insurrection. 

A rising fomented by the 
priests in 1536, following closely 
upon the dissolution of the 
monasteries. It was entirely 
a movement of the peasants, 
and had no countenance from 



the gentry. It was easily sup- 
pressed. 

Lion of Sweden. 

Johan Gustafsson Baner, the 
Swedish Field-Marshal (1595- 
1641), was so called. 

Lion of the North. 

The sobriquet of Gustavus 
Adolphus of Sweden (161 1-32). 

Lion Rouge, Le. 

Marshal Ney was so called 
from his red hair. 

Lion's Mouth. 

See Bocca di Leone. 

Liquidation, Law of. 

A law passed in Egypt in 
1 88 1, on the recommendation of 
the Commissioners of England, 
France, Italy, Germany and 
Austria, settling the conditions 
on which the debts due by the 
State on December 31, 1880, 
were to be regulated, and pro- 
viding for the future apportion- 
ment of the revenue to the 
service of particular debts, and 
to general purposes. 

Lit de Justice. 

A royal sitting of the States- 
General of France, when the 
King attended to enforce by 
edict an ordinance or law to 
which the States had refused 
their consent. 

Literati. 

In China those who have 
passed the public examinations 
in literature, qualifying them 
for official positions under the 
State. 

Lithsmen. 

A guild of shipowners and 
merchants in London, which 
was in existence in the time of 
the Danish Kings. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 149 



Little Gentleman in Velvet. 

A favourite Jacobite toast 
in the reign of Queen Anne. 
The allusion is to the death of 
Wilham III, which was acceler- 
ated by an accident caused by 
his horse stumbling over a mole- 
hill. 

Little Parliament. 

See Barebone's Parliament. 

Little Rhody. 

The popular name of the 
State of Rhode Island, U.S.A., 
the smallest State in the Union. 

Live Oak State. 

A popular name for the State 
of Florida, U.S.A. 

Liveries, Statute of. 

A statute passed in 1461, in 
the reign of Edward IV, pro- 
hibiting the granting of liveries 
and the maintenance of re- 
tainers. It confirmed similar 
enactments of Edward I and 
Richard II. 

Livonian Knights. 

An order of chivalry, founded 
at Riga in 1201, by Albert of 
Buxhoewden, Bishop of Riga. 
Their statutes were similar to 
those of the Templars, and their 
special object was to spread 
Christianity among the Livon- 
ians and neighbouring tribes. 
In 1237 a section of the Teu- 
tonic knights of Lithuania was 
merged into the Livonian order. 
The order was dissolved in the 
sixteenth century during the 
reign of Ivan the Terrible, the 
Grand Master ceding Livonia to 
Poland. 

Local Government Act, 1888. 

An Act carried through 
Parliament . by Mr. Ritchie, 
establishing County Councils, 
to which were entrusted the 



various administrative func- 
tions previously exercised by 
committees of the county magis- 
trates. The larger boroughs 
were exempted from their juris- 
diction, being left under the 
control of their own munici- 
palities, while a special County 
of London was created, com- 
prising all the newer suburbs. 

Local Government Act, 1894. 

An Act completing the Local 
Government Act of 1888 by the 
creation of Parish and District 
Councils. One of the most 
important provisions of this 
Act is that giving the newly 
established bodies power to 
acquire land, compulsorily if 
necessary, for the purpose of 
providing labourers' allotments. 

Locofocos. 

The name given in 1835 to 
the Radical section of the 
Democratic party in the United 
States. At a meeting of this 
wing of the party, an opponent 
present turned off the gas, 
whereupon candles were pro- 
cured, and ht by " locofoco " 
matches, from which tims the 
faction was dubbed by its 
opponents the " Locofocos." 

Lodi, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1454 by 
the Republic of Venice and 
Duke Sforza of Milan, by which 
Sforza secured the whole of the 
Milanese. 

Loet. 

In Saxon times labourers 
dependent on the feudal lord 
on whose land they worked. 
They are, however, not to be con- 
founded with the theows, or 
slaves. 

Logretta. 

Among the Norsemen, the 



I50 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Law Court, the highest authority 
of the State under the King. 
It consisted of thirty-six mem- 
bers, partly ex-officio, and partly 
elected. 
Loi Berenger. 

A law passed in 1891 in 
France, by which, in the case 
of first offenders, the tribunal 
might suspend the sentence for 
five years. If during that period 
the culprit did not again make 
himself amenable to the law, 
the sentence lapsed. If again 
convicted, however, he had to 
serve the old sentence as well 
as the new. 

Lollards. 

A religious sect, followers of 
Wyclifie, which arose in Edward 
Ill's reign. They attacked the 
abuses of the Church, and especi- 
ally the wealthy religious orders, 
and claimed the right of private 
interpretation in matters of 
doctrine. They are said to have 
numbered, at one time, fully 
one-third of the population of 
England. In spite of continued 
persecution, the sect remained 
powerful through several reigns, 
and they doubtless paved the 
way for the ready acceptance 
by England of the Reformed 
Doctrines in the reign of 
Henry VIIL 

Lombard League, First. 

A league of sixteen cities of 
Northern Italy, headed by Milan, 
and including Venice, formed 
in 1 1 67 against Frederick Bar- 
barossa. The league defeated 
the Emperor at Legnano in 
1 176, and in 1183, by the Peace 
of Constance "he granted prac- 
tical independence to the cities, 
subject to the recognition of 
his suzerainty, and the payment 
of certain small dues. 



Lombard League, Second. 

A league formed under the 
Marquis d'Este in 1255, to resist 
Pope Alexander IV. This league 
consisted mainly of the Guelf 
cities of Lombardy, while Alex- 
ander's principal supporters 
were Ezzelino of Verona and 
his brother Alberic of Treviso. 
Ezzelino was disastrously de- 
feated at Cassano in 1259. 

Lombards. 

The Italian merchants who 
spread over Europe during the 
twelfth and thirteenth centuries 
were known as Lombards. They 
were the first bankers of modern 
Europe. 

London Comgany. 

A company formed in 1606, 
under charter from James I, 
with the object of colonizing 
Virginia. 

London Convention, 1832. 

A convention between Great 
Britain, France and Russia 
on the one side, and Bavaria on 
the other, by which Greece was 
erected into an independent 
kingdom, under the guarantee 
of the Powers, and Prince Otto 
of Bavaria placed on the 
throne, with the proviso, how- 
ever, that the crowns of Greece 
and Bavaria should never be 
united in the person of one 
sovereign. 

London Convention, 1862. 

An instrument signed in 
London by Great Britain, 
France and Spain, agreeing to 
demand from Mexico a guaran- 
tee for the better protection of 
the subjects of the signatories, 
and at the same time under- 
taking not to seek for any terri- 
torial acquisitions, nor to inter- 
fere in the internal government 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 151 



of Mexico. It soon became 
evident that Napoleon III was 
determined to force Mexico into 
a war, with the object of placing 
Maximilian of Austria on the 
throne, whereupon Great Britain 
and Spain withdrew from the 
convention. 

London Convention, 1884. 

A convention between Great 
Britain and the Transvaal, 
amending the Convention of 
Pretoria of 1881. All direct 
reference to the suzerainty was 
omitted, but it was expressly 
stipulated that no treaties 
should be negotiated with 
Foreign Powers (excepting the 
Orange Free State), or with 
native chiefs, without the con- 
sent of Great Britain. The 
suzerainty was thus maintained 
in fact, as Great Britain re- 
tained full control of the foreign 
relations of the Transvaal. Pro- 
vision was also made for the 
presence of a British Resident 
at Pretoria, and certain ques- 
tions of frontier were re-ad- 
justed. 

London, Treaty of, 1674. 

The treaty between England 
and Holland closing the war 
of 1672, which arose out of 
England's claim that foreign 
ships should salute her flag 
wherever it was met in the nar- 
row seas. Holland accepted the 
principle involved, and agreed 
to pay an indemnity of 2,000,000 
guilders. {See Honour of the 
Flag.) 

London, Treaty of, 1827. 

A treaty between England, 
France and Russia, during the 
Greek War of Independence. 
The contracting parties bound 
themselves to take action for 



the purpose of securing the 
independence of Greece under 
Turkish suzerainty. The des- 
truction of the Turkish and 
Eg3rptian fleets at Navarino 
followed closely the signature 
of this treaty. 

London, Treaty of, 1833. 

An agreement between Great 
Britain and France on the one 
hand, and Holland on the other, 
providing for the erection of the 
Flemish and Walloon provinces 
into an independent kingdom, 
to be known as Belgium. This 
treaty was confirmed by the five 
Great Powers in 1839. 

London, Treaty of, 1839. 

A treaty signed by Austria, 
France, Great Britain, Prussia 
and Russia, confirming the pro- 
visional treaty of 1833, with 
regard to the separation of 
Belgium from the Netherlands, 
subject to certain small changes 
as to the navigation of the 
Scheldt and the boundaries of 
Luxemburg. 

London, Treaty of, 1841. 

See Dardanelles. 

London, Treaty of, 1852. 

A treaty signed by Austria, 
France, Great Britain, Prussia, 
Russia and Sweden, settling the 
succession to the Danish throne 
upon Prince Christian of 
Schleswig Holstein and his issue. 
The integrity of the Danish 
monarchy was acknowledged, 
but the rights of the German 
Confederation over the Duchies 
of Holstein and Lauenburg were 
not in any way touched by the 
treaty. 

Lone Star State. 

The popular name for the 
State of Texas, derived from 



152 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



the single star in its coat of 
arms. 

Long Diet. 

A Diet which met at Zurich in 
1813, and after declaring the 
Constitution of Mediation ex- 
tinct, proceeded to evolve a 
new Federal Constitution, 
known as the Federal Pact, 
which was accepted by the 
Powers at the Congress of Vienna 
in 1815. 

Long Parliament. 

The Parliament which met 
in the reign of Charles I, in 
1640, and lasted till 1653, when 
all that was left of it, known as 
the Rump, was forcibly ex- 
pelled from the House by Crom- 
well. 

Long Parliament of Versailles. 

The first Parliament of the 
Third French Republic, which 
was not dissolved till December 
31, 1875. 

Longjumeau, Paix de. 

A treaty between Catherine 
de' Medici and the Huguenots, 
signed March 20, 1568, by which 
various concessions were granted 
the Huguenots. It was signed 
by the Queen to save Chartres, 
which was in danger of falling, 
and was broken within six 
months. It is known as the 
Courte Paix, or the Paix FourrSe. 

Longshanks. 

}. The nickname of Edward I of 
England. 

Longsword. 

p; The sobriquet of William, 
Earl of Salisbury (i 196-1226), 
the natural son of Henry II, and 
also of his son (died 1250). 

Loo, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1701 by 



England, Holland and the Em- 
peror, to oppose the designs of 
Louis XIV. The signatories 
aimed at the conquest of Flan- 
ders, to be given to Holland, of 
Milan, Naples and Sicily, to be 
added to the Empire, and of the 
French and Spanish West Indies, 
to be divided between the two 
maritime Powers. 

Loose-Coat Field. 

The name given to the battle 
near Erpingham, in Rutland- 
shire, in 1470, where Edward IV 
defeated the rebels under Sir 
Thomas Wells. 

Lorcha " Arrow." 

The boarding of this vessel, 
flying the British flag, in the 
Canton River in 1856, and the 
arrest of twelve of her crew on 
a charge of piracy, led to the 
war with China in 1857-8, when 
the English were aided by the 
French. The war resulted in 
the reception of British and 
French legations at Peking, and 
the concession of certain ad- 
ditional privileges to traders 
and missionaries. 

Lord Paramount. 

Under the feudal system the 
Sovereign was so called, as the 
owner of the whole of the land, 
the great nobles holding under 
him as tenants-in-chief. 

Lords Appellant. 

A body of peers, in the reign 
of Richard II, who impeached, 
as guilty of high treason, the 
Archbishop of York, the Duke 
of Ireland, and other favourites 
of the King, in 1386. They 
afterwards convened the Merci- 
less Parliament, in 1388. 

Los von Rom. 

A movement started about 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 153 



1899 by the Austrian Pan- 
German Deputies, to detach 
their followers from the Roman 
Catholic Church. The object 
of the movement is to make the 
German States of Austria more 
acceptable members of the Ger- 
man Empire than they would 
be as rigidly Catholic countries, 
in the event of the break up of 
the Austrian Empire. 

Louis, Code. 

A codification of the laws 
relating to criminal procedure 
and evidence, issued as an edict 
by Louis XIV in 1667. 

Louisiana Purchase. 

The purchase from France 
by the United States in 1803 of 
New Orleans and the territory 
West of the Mississippi, extend- 
ing to the eastern spurs of the 
Rocky Mountains and to the 
British frontier on the North. 
The price was 15 million dollars. 

Louvain, Articles of. 

A confession of the Catholic 
Faith, drawn up by the Uni- 
versity of Louvain by order of 
Charles V in 1544. All Charles' 
subjects in the Netherlands 
were required to conform to 
these articles, under pain of 
death, and that this was not an 
idle threat was shown by the 
burning at the stake, at Tour- 
nay, in February, 1545, of 
Peter du Breuil, a Calvinist 
preacher, who refused to obey 
the proclamation. 

Loyale Epee, La. 

A sobriquet of Marshal 
Macmahon (i 808-1893). 
Liibeck Law. 

The law administered in the 
law courts and in the foreign 
factories of the Hanseatic 
League. 



Liibeck, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the Em- 
peror Ferdinand II and Chris- 
tian IV. of Denmark, signed in 
1629, after the latter had been 
driven out of Germany by Tilly 
and Wallenstein. Christian 

retained all his possessions, and 
agreed to interfere no further 
in German affairs, except in his 
capacity of Duke of Holstein. 
He made no stipulations in 
favour of any of his German 
allies, none of whom, in conse- 
quence, were parties to the 
treaty, 

Luddite Riots. 

A series of outbreaks in the 
manufacturing districts of Eng- 
land, and especially about 
Nottingham, in 1 8 1 1 , as a protest 
against the introduction of 
machinery into the factories. 
The rioters, or rather con- 
spirators, for their proceedings 
were secret, used to assemble 
at night, break into a factory, 
destroy the machinery, and 
then disperse, as a rule un- 
molested. . They took their 
name from an idiot lad, named 
Ludd, who thirty years previ- 
ously had gone about in the 
Nottingham district breaking 
stocking-frames. 

Ludlow's Code. 

A code of laws compiled by 
John Ludlow in 1650, for the 
colony of Connecticut. 

Liigenfeld. 

The camp of Lothair, son 
of Louis the Pious, near Basle, 
where Louis surrendered to his 
revolted sons in 833. The false 
pretences by which the surren- 
der was obtained, led to the 
incident being called the " Field 
of Lies," or Liigenfeld. 



154 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Lumber State. 

The State of Maine, U.S.A., 
is so called, on account of its 
valuable forests. 

Luneville, Treaty of. 

A treaty between France and 
Austria, following on the 
disasters to the Austrian arms 
at Marengo and Hohenlinden. 
By its provisions France ob- 
tained an extension of territory 
on the north, as far as the 
Rhine from the Swiss to the 
Dutch frontiers, together with 
the cession of the Belgian 
provinces. In Italy Austria 
retired from the Milanese and 
the Venetian provinces, up to 
the line of the Adige, while 
Tuscany was taken from the 
Austrian Grand-Dukes, and con- 
ferred upon the House of Parma, 
with the title of the King of 
Etruria. 

Luxemburg Treaty. 

A treaty signed in 1867 by 
Great Britain, Austria, Bel- 
gium, France, Italy, Holland, 
Russia and Prussia, agreeing to 
maintain on the throne of 
Luxemburg the House of Orange- 
Nassau, and constituting the 
Duchy a perpetual neutral State 
under the guarantee of the 
Powers. It was further agreed 
that the fortress of Luxemburg 
should be demolished and the 
Prussian troops withdrawn, and 
that the Duchy of Limburg 
should form part of the Nether- 
lands. 

Lydford Law. 

A phrase having the same 
signification as " Jedburgh Jus- 
tice." 

Lynch Law. 

The substitution of an irre- 
gular trial for the regular process 



of law, common in the Western 
States of America during the 
wilder days of the fifties and 
sixties, and now rife in the 
Southern States, in the case of 
negroes charged with offences 
against white women. The 

name is supposed to be derived 
from James Lynch, of Piedmont, 
Virginia, who introduced it in 
1688, to enable criminals to be 
promptly dealt with when the 
proper of&cers of the law were 
scattered and hard to come at. 

Lyons, Council of, 1245. 

A council summoned by Inno- 
cent IV in 1245. It deposed 
the Emperor Frederick II, and 
absolved his subjects from their 
allegiance, thus endorsing the 
claim of Gregory VII that the 
Church could appoint and de- 
pose Sovereigns. 

Lyons, Council of, 1275. 

An OEcumenical Council, held 
in 1275 under Gregory X, at 
which the rules governing the 
election of the Pope by the 
Cardinals were amended by the 
provision that the Cardinals i 
within ten days of the death of 
the late Pope, should be shut up 
in conclave until his successor 
was elected. 



M 

Maamtrasna Murders. 

The murder of a family 
named Joyce in Ireland in 1882. 
Ten men were put on their trial 
for the crime, of whom two 
turned Queen's Evidence, and 
the remainder were convicted, 
three being hanged. In 1884 
Casey, one of the informers, 
declared that he had given false 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



155 



evidence against Myles Joyce, 
one of the men who had been 
hanged, and that he had been 
ordered by the ofi&cials, on pain 
of capital punishment, to swear 
away this man's Ufe. A search- 
ing inquiry confirmed the justice 
of the sentence, but the case was 
made the pretext for a violent 
attack in Parliament upon the 
Irish Secretary. 

McKinley Tariff. 

A Tariff Act ' passed in the 
United States in 1890. Large 
increases were made in the im- 
port duties, and the measure as 
a whole was one of thorough- 
going protection. It was re- 
pealed in 1894. 

McMillanites. 

The Cameronians were so 
called, after the Revolution, from 
the name of their minister, 
McMillan. 

Mad Cavalier. 

The sobriquet of Prince Ru- 
pert of Bavaria, nephew of 
Charles I. 

Mad Parliament. 

A Parliament of Henry III, 
which met in June 1258. It was 
by this Parliament that the 
Commission was appointed 
which drew up the Provisions of 
Oxford. 

Madame Veto. 

See Monsieur Veto. 

Madman of the North. 

A sobriquet of Charles XII of 
Sweden (1682-17 18). 

Madras Mutiny. 

A mutiny of the officers in the 
Madras Army of the East India 
Company in 1809. It was 
caused by the action of the 
Board of Directors in depriving 



the officers of some of their per- 
quisites. Sir George Barlow 
appealed to the sepoys, who 
supported the authorities against 
their officers, and the latter were 
forced to give in. With the 
exception of twenty-one of the 
ringleaders, the mutinous officers 
were forgiven, and allowed to 
resume their posts. 

Madras, Peace of. 

A treaty between Haidar Ali 
and the British, closing the first 
Mysore War in 1769. It pro- 
vided for mutual restoration of 
all conquered territories, and a 
mutual guarantee of the in- 
tegrity of each other's dominions. 

Madrid Conference. 

A conference of the Powers, 
held in 1880, to consider the 
affairs of Morocco, and especi- 
ally the treatment of Jews, and 
the right of foreign nations to 
protect their subjects. An 
agreement was arrived at, and 
a joint Note addressed to the 
Sultan, insisting on the necessity 
of respecting liberty of con- 
science, and of enforcing tolera- 
tion on the part of his subjects. 

Madrid, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Charles V 
and Francis I, putting an end 
to the captivity of Francis, 
signed in 1526. The French 
King ceded Burgundy to Charles, 
and renounced the sovereignty 
of Flanders and all his rights in 
Italy. 

Maffia. 

A secret society which largely 
controlled the appointment of 
officials, and practically gov- 
erned Sicily. The disclosures 
following the murder of Siguor 
Notarbartolo, deputy for Paler- 
mo, in 1899, caused the Italian 



156 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Government to institute a 
searching inquiry, which led 
to the suppression, temporarily 
at least, of the Maffia. 

Magdeburg, Sack of. 

At the capture of Magdeburg 
by the Austrian General, Tilly, 
in 1629, during the Thirty Years' 
War, the Protestant inhabitants 
were put to the sword with 
ruthless barbarity. 

Magna Charta. 

The Great Charter of English 
liberty, extorted from John by 
his Barons in 121 5. It pre- 
scribed the constitution of the 
Great Council of the Kingdom, 
the members whereof were to 
be summoned by writ ; it de- 
fined and limited the feudal 
obligations of the Barons and 
other tenants of the Crown ; 
restricted the powers of the 
sheriffs and other royal officers, 
and secured the liberties of the 
free towns. It further declared 
the right of an accused person 
to be tried by his peers. 

Magnum Concilium. 

The Great Council of the 
Realm, which in Norman times 
took the place of the Anglo- 
Saxon Witanegemot, and was 
the forerunner of the Parlia- 
ment. It consisted in the main 
of the King's great vassals, and 
with the King exercised legis- 
lative functions and initiated 
taxation. Its constitution was 
defined, and the mode of sum- 
moning it prescribed in Magna 
Charta. 

Magyars. 

The original Turanian in- 
vaders of Pannonia, the modern 
Hungary. The name is now 
applied to Hungarians generally, 
whether of pure Turanian des- 



cent or not. It is often errone- 
ously used as referring to the 
Hungarian nobles or magnates 
only, but it carries with it no 
idea of rank or dignity. 

Mahdi. 

The expected Messiah of the 
Moslems, said to have been 
promised by Mohammed. The 
title has been claimed by 
several pretenders, the best 
known being Mohammed Ah- 
med, who headed a rising in the 
Eastern Soudan in 1881, and 
afterwards captured Khar- 
toum. 

Maid of Norway. 

The daughter of Eric, King 
of Norway, and grand-daughter 
of Alexander III of Scotland. 
On the death of her grandfather 
in 1286, she succeeded to the 
Scottish throne, but died on her 
voyage to Scotland, leaving the 
throne open to numerous claim- 
ants, of whom Balliol was 
eventually chosen. Had she 
lived she was to have become 
the wife of Edward, son of 
Edward I of England, thus 
uniting the two crowns. 

Maid of Orleans. 

The name given to Jeanne 
d'Arc, after the relief of Orleans 
in 1429. 

Maid of Saragossa. 

The name given to Agostina 
Zaragoza, in consequence of 
her bravery at the siege of Sara- 
gossa in 1808, where she took 
her part with the soldiers in 
fighting the guns on the ram- 
parts. 

Maiden King. 

The sobriquet of Malcolm IV 
of Scotland (11 53-1 165). 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 157 



Maiden Queen. 

Elizabeth of England is so 
called. 

Maillotins, Insurrection of the. 

A rising in Paris in 1382, 
against a tax on the sale of 
provisions and merchandise. The 
name is derived from the heavy- 
iron maces with which the 
majority of the insurgents were 
armed. 

Main Plot. 

See Bye-Plot. 

Maine Liquor Law. 

A law passed in the State of 
Maine, U.S.A., in 1851, pro- 
hibiting the trade in intoxicants. 
It has since been incorporated 
in the constitution of the State, 
rendering repeal impossible 
without previous recourse to a 
popular vote. 

Maintainers. 

Bodies of retainers in the 
service of the great feudal lords. 
It was to check the abuses 
arising from the system of 
maintenance that the Star 
Chamber was originally estab- 
lished. 

Maire du Palais. 

The prime ministers of the 
later Merovingian Kings, and 
the de facto rulers, as these 
monarchs took no part in the 
Government. The last Maire 
du Palais was Charles Martel, 
the father of Pepin, and founder 
of the Carlovingian dynasty. 

Maison du Roi. 

The military household of 
Louis XIV of France. It con- 
sisted of the Gardes du Corps 
and the Mousquetaires du Roi, 
all gentlemen by birth, number- 
ing twelve thousand. 



Majestats Brief. 

An edict issued by the Em- 
peror Rudolph II in 1609 
granting to all Bohemians of 
certain recognized religions free- 
dom of conscience, admission to 
the University of Prague, and 
the right to build churches on 
Crown lands. The edict further 
declared that any subsequent 
ordinances issued in contraven- 
tion of this charter were null 
and void. 

Major-Generals, Cromwell's. 

Twelve of&cers, commanding 
the twelve military districts 
into which Cromwell divided 
England in 1655. They were 
given command of the militia, 
and their functions were to sup- 
press any Royalist rising, and 
to supervise the collection of 
the 10 per cent, tax levied from 
Royalists. The plan was aban- 
doned in 1 65 1, Parliament re- 
fusing to vote the money for the 
militia. 

Majuba Hill. 

The scene of the defeat of 
General CoUey's force by the 
Boers on February 27, 1881, 
which virtually closed the Boer 
War of that year. The sur- 
render of the British Govern- 
ment to the Boer demands is 
generally known as the " Ma- 
juba Surrender," and the bitter 
feeling thereby aroused caused 
" Remember Majuba " to be a 
sort of war-cry at the outbreak 
of the w^ar of 1 899-1902. The 
Paardeberg surrender on the 
anniversary of Majuba in 
1900 was hailed as in some 
degree wiping out the disgrace 
attached to the word. 

Malcontents. 

In 1578 the Walloon troops 
of the Netherlands, being irri- 



158 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



tated by the promulgation of 
the ReHgious Peace, and by their 
pay being in arrear, mutinied 
under the leadership of the 
Seigneur de Montigny. Attempts 
to appease them were fruitless, 
and eventually, with the sup- 
port of the nobles of Hainault 
and Artois, the mutiny ended 
in the formation of a con- 
federacy of the Walloon pro- 
vinces, pledged to support the 
Pacification of Ghent, and own- 
ing allegiance to Philip II. 

Malet's Plot. 

A plot contrived by General 
Malet and the Abbe Lafone, in 
1812, to dethrone Napoleon. 
By means of forged papers Malet 
persuaded a section of the Paris 
garrison that Napoleon was 
dead, and that he was entrusted 
by the Senate with the command 
of the troops. He then pro- 
ceeded to the police ministry, 
where he arrested Savary, the 
minister, and the prefect of 
police. Attempting, however, 
to dispose in the same way of 
General HuUin, the Command- 
ant of Paris, he was overpowered 
by the General's orderlies, and 
the plot came to an abortive 
end. 

Maletolte. 

An additional tax of forty 
shillings the sack on the export 
of wool imposed by Edward III 
in 1337. 
Malignants. 

During the latter part of the 
Civil War and under the Com- 
monwealth, those who had 
borne arms on the King's side 
were so called by the Parliamen- 
tarians, 

Malisset, Societe. 

A company under the control 



of the French Government, 
formed about 1767 to keep up 
the price of breadstuff s. The 
company took advantage of the 
scarcity to make enormous 
profits, and it seems clear that 
Louis XV was pecuniarily in- 
terested in its transactions. 
About 1774 it became known as 
the Pacte de Famine. 

Malta, Knights of. 

An order of religious chivalry, 
established in Malta in 1104. 
In 1 3 10 they captured Rhodes, 
and were known as the Knights 
of Rhodes until they were ex- 
pelled from that island by the 
Turks in 1503, when they re- 
turned to Malta. They are 
now known as the Knights 
Hospitallers of St. John of 
Jerusalem, and have become 
an English order, interesting 
themselves specially in ambu- 
lance work. 

Malus Intercursus. 

The name given by the Dutch 
to the Treaty of Commerce 
between England and Philip of 
Burgundy signed in 1506. By 
this instrument British ships 
were admitted free of harbour 
dues to the Ports of Antwerp, 
Bruges, Berghem and Middel- 
burg, and English merchants 
were permitted to sell cloth 
throughout the Netherlands. In 
return Henry VII. agreed to 
surrender to Philip all rebels 
and fugitives from the Bur- 
gundian States captured in his 
dominions, a provision which 
was of no benefit to the Dutch. 

Mamelucos. 

Bands of half-breeds who 
raided the missions of the Jesuits 
in Paraguay in the seventeenth 
century, carrying off the con- 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 159 



verts as slaves. The word is 
generally applied in Brazil to 
those of mixed Indian and Negro 
blood. 

Mamelukes. 

The bodyguard of the Eg5rp- 
tian Sultans, chiefly composed 
of Circassian and Georgian 
slaves. In 1250 they mutinied, 
murdered the Sultan, and foun- 
ded a dynasty of their own, 
nominating and removing the 
Sultans at their will. The Mame- 
luke Dynasty lasted till 15 17, 
when they were finally sup- 
pressed by the Sultan Selim. 

Mamelukes. 

The name given to the Savoy 
party in Geneva in the sixteenth 
century. 

Manchester Martyrs. 

Allen, Larkin and O'Brien, 
who were executed for the 
murder of a policeman in the 
attempt to rescue the Fenian 
prisoners at Manchester in 1867, 
are so called by the disloyal 
Irish. 

Manchester Massacre. 

A cavalry charge through a 
crowded meeting which was 
being held in St. Peter's Field, 
Manchester, in connexion with 
the Reform agitation in 18 19. 
Many persons were injured. 
The accident, for it practically 
amounted to no more, was 
entirely due to the mismanage- 
ment of the magistrates, who 
attempted to arrest the agita- 
tor, Hunt, while on the platform 
in the centre of the meeting. 
This affair is also called, deri- 
sively, "Peterloo." 

Manchester School. 

A political and economic 
school, which was responsible 



for the formation of the Anti- 
Corn Law League, under Cob- 
den, in 1838. They believed in 
the principle of laissez faire, 
in free competition and freedom 
of contract, and looked upon 
Government interference with, 
or control of trade, as an econo- 
mic heresy. 

Mandamus Councillors. 

A council of thirty-six mem- 
bers, formed by Gage, the 
Governor of Massachusetts, after 
the subversion of the constitu- 
tion in 1774. As no one of any 
standing would accept an ap- 
pointment to this council. Gage, 
in whom was vested the whole 
of the administrative and ju- 
dicial authority, appointed those 
whom he selected by writ of 
mandamus. 

Mandarins. 

The name given by Europeans 
to the Chinese official classes. 
The word is of Portuguese 
origin, and means " officer " or 
" commander." 

Mandeshwar, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1818, by 
which Holkar of Indore, after 
his defeat at Mahidpore, re- 
nounced his claim to suzerainty 
over the Rajput States, and 
placed himself under British 
protection. 

Mangalore, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the British 
and Tippu Sahib, at the close 
of the second Mysore War in 
1784, by which a return was 
agreed upon to the status quo 
ante. 

Manoa. 

The fabled capital city of 
El Dorado, said to be situated 
to the East of the Andes, near 



i6o DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



the equator. It was the objec- 
tive of an expedition led by 
Gonzalo Pizarro from Quito 
in 1539, who had many imita- 
tors, both Spanish and Enghsh, 
as unsuccessful as himself. Ac- 
cording to the Indian tales, gold 
was so plentiful in the district 
of El Dorado that it was used 
for the gates and roofs of the 
houses in Manoa. 

Manor Court. 

In Anglo-Saxon times the 
court of a township built on the 
land of a lord, and not on public 
land. Such townships were 
known as manors, and the lord 
undertook the duties, and en- 
joyed the privileges which in 
other townships were in the 
hands of the freeholders, 

Mantua, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1791 by 
Austria, Spain and Sardinia, 
by which the contracting parties 
bound themselves to provide 
forces to act on the French 
frontiers, with the object of 
overawing the revolutionists, 
and to issue a manifesto to the 
French nation, calling upon 
them to submit to the authority 
of their King, failing which the 
allies would take active steps 
to coerce them. 

Marathon Murders. 

The murder by brigands, near 
Athens, of a party of English- 
men, including Mr. Herbert, a 
secretary of the British Lega- 
tion, in 1870. The Greek Gov- 
ernment were greatly blamed 
for the action they took in 
moving troops against the brig- 
ands, contrary to their express 
undertaking, before the re- 
quired ransom, which had been 
provided, had iDeen handed over 



to the brigands and the prisoners 
released. 

Mark System. 

A system of land tenure, 
apparently of a communistic 
nature, which prevailed in Ger- 
many in very early times. It 
seems to have been introduced 
into England by the Saxon in- 
vaders, and traces of it are 
found in the common lands. 

Marlborough, Statute of. 

A re-enactment by the Parlia- 
ment of Marlborough in 1267, 
after the Barons' War, of the 
Provisions of Oxford, with some 
slight changes, giving the King 
the power of appointing the 
Ministers of the Crown and the 
sheriffs. 
Maroons. 

The fugitive slaves in Ja- 
maica, who, after the conquest 
of the island by England in 1655, 
took refuge in the mountains, 
and maintained a guerilla war- 
fare against the colonists, which 
lasted until 1795. 

Marranos. 

The Spanish Moors who, after 
the conquest of Granada, ac- 
cepted Christianity. 

Marriage Act. 
See Hardwicke's Act. 

Married Women's Property Act. 

An Act passed in 1882, by 
which, in all marriages subse- 
quent to the passing of the Act, 
a wife's property is vested in 
herself, and is not subject to her 
husband's control, as was previ- 
ously the case. 
Martian Law. 

A code of British Law trans- 
lated by Alfred the Great into 
Anglo-Saxon. It is said to 
have been compiled by Martia, 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS i6i 



the wife of Guithelin. great- 
grandson of Mulmutius, King 
of the Britons, in 300 B.C. 

Martin Mar-Prelate. 

The pseudonym of the author 
of certain pamphlets advocating 
Puritan doctrines, which ap- 
peared between 1588 and 1590. 
The suspected author, a Welsh- 
man named Penry, was brought 
to trial, condemned and exe- 
cuted. 

Maryland, Charter of. 

A charter for the colonisation 
of Maryland, granted to Lord 
Baltimore by Charles I in 1629. 
It was similar in its provisions to 
the Charter of Virginia. 

Masaniello, Revolt of, 

A revolt of the Neapolitans, 
under a fisherman named Tom- 
maso Aniello, against the 
Spanish Viceroy in July, 1647. 
The revolt was completely suc- 
cessful, and the Viceroy was 
compelled to come to terms with 
Masaniello, whose head, how- 
ever, seems to have been turned 
by his success, as he was guUty 
of the most extraordinary ex- 
cesses, and was murdered by his 
former followers in the course 
of the month in which the rising 
took place. 

Mason and Dixon's Line. 

The line delimiting Delaware 
and Maryland, drawn by Mason 
and Dixon in 1764-67. It is 
often erroneously referred to as 
the line between the freesoil 
and the slave States, but as a 
matter of fact both the States 
in question were slave-holding 
States. 
Mason and Slidell. 

See Trent Incident. 
Massachusetts, Charter of. 

A charter issued by Charles I 



in 1629, providing for the 
government of the colony by a 
governor, deputy, and eighteen 
assistants, to be elected an- 
nually by the freemen of the 
plantation. They were en- 
trusted with both legislative and 
executive functions, but it was 
provided that no laws should be 
made which were not in har- 
mony with the law of England. 
The charter was revoked in 
1684, after a dispute on the 
subject of the navigation laws. 

Massacres. 

See Abencerrages, Amboyna, 
Armagnacs, Armenian, Barme- 
cides, Blood Bath, Boston, 
Bulgarian, Cawnpore, Chastise- 
ment, Custer, Dragonnades, Far- 
quharsons, French Fury, Fusil- 
lades, Glencoe, Jaffa, Lebanon, 
Magdeburg, Manchester, Moun- 
tain Meadow, Noyades, Privas, 
St. Bartholomew, St. Brice, 
ScuUabogue, September, Sicilian 
Vespers, Sinope, Spanish Fury, 
Tenth of August, Ulster, Val- 
telline, Vassy, Veronese. 

Match Tax. 

An impost proposed by Robert 
Lowe (Lord Sherbrooke), Chan- 
cellor of the Exchequer in 1871. 
The proposal was excessively 
unpopular, and was withdrawn. 

Mau-brulez, Journee des. 

April 27, 1562, when two Pro- 
testant ministers. Mallard and 
Faveau, were to be burnt at the 
stake by order of Granville, 
Bishop of Arras. They were 
rescued by the populace. 

May, Constitution of. 

The constitution established 
by the Polish Diet on May 3. 
1 79 1. It abolished the elective 

M 



1 62 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



monarchy, and named the Royal 
House of Saxony as successors 
to Poniatowski. It aboHshed 
the Liberum Veto, and vested 
the legislative authority in the 
King, the Senate and the Cham- 
ber of Nuncios, and the exe- 
cutive in the King, with a coun- 
cil of six Ministers. 

Mayflower. 

The ship that carried the first 
colonists of New England, the 
Pilgrim Fathers, to the shores 
of America. They were chiefly 
Independents from the neigh- 
bourhood of Scrooby, in Lin- 
colnshire, who under stress of 
persecution determined to leave 
England. They went first to 
Holland, and then, deciding 
to make their home in America, 
finally sailed from Plymouth 
on September 6, 1620. They 
landed on the shores of Cape 
Cod, and named their first 
township Plymouth. 

Maximum. 

By a decree of May 4, 1793, 
the French Convention estab- 
lished a maximum price for 
food stuffs, obliging farmers to 
state the quantity of grain 
in their possession, bring it to 
market, and accept a price fixed 
by the commune in which it was 
offered, such price to be based 
on the average price ruling in the 
district during the four previous 
months. Heavy penalties were 
enacted for concealment of 
grain supplies, and for taking 
more than the authorised price. 

Maynooth Grant. 

A grant to the Roman Catho- 
lic College of Maynooth, in Ire- 
land, made in the face of strong 
Protestant opposition by Sir 
Robert Peel's. Government in 



1845. It was abolished in 1869, 
at the time of the Disestablish- 
ment of the Irish Church. 

Maynooth, Pardon of. 

The name given ironically to 
the suppression of the revolt of 
the Geraldines in 1535, when 
Maynooth Castle, the seat of the 
Earl of Desmond, was captured, 
and out of thirty-seven prisoners 
taken, twenty-six were executed. 

Meal Tub Plot. 

A pretended plot, fabricated 
by Dangerfield in 1679, in 
emulation of Titus Gates, the 
inventor of the Popish Plot. 
Dangerfield averred that a 
Presbyterian plot existed to 
depose the King, and establish 
a Republic. After arrest he 
stated that this was only a 
blind to conceal a plot of the 
Papists, documents relating to 
which would be found hidden 
in a meal tub in the house of 
Mrs. Cellier, a Roman Catholic. 
This lady was tried for high 
treason and acquitted. Danger- 
field was condemned to be 
flogged from Newgate to Ty- 
burn and back, and died under 
the lash. 

Measures, Assize of. 

An edict issued in 1197, with 
the object of securing uniformity 
in weights and measures through- 
out England. It was, however, 
found impossible to obtain ac- 
ceptance for this reform, and 
the edict remained a dead 
letter. 

Mediation, Constitution of. 

A constitution in which an 
attempt was made to harmonise 
the old Cantonal system with 
the new Helvetic Constitution, 
and which was imposed upon 
the Swiss by Napoleon in 1803. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 163 



Mediatized Princes. 

Members of the old ruling 
families of the smaller German 
States, who have at various 
times been deprived of their 
sovereign rights. 

Meersen, Treaty of. 

A treaty, signed in 870, by 
which Lewis the German and 
Charles the Bald divided the 
territories of their nephews, 
Lewis II and Charles. The 
former took Alsace and the 
Rhine Provinces, the latter 
Burgundy and Provence, thus 
finally separating Germany and 
France. 

Mellanriks Law. 

The decree confirming the 
Union of Sweden and Norway, 
accepted by the Norwegians in 
November, 18 14, and defining 
the financial and other relations 
between the two kingdoms. 

Melun, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1593, be- 
tween Queen Elizabeth and 
Henri IV of France, providing 
for an offensive and defensive 
alliance against Philip II of 
Spain. 

Mercatoribus, Statute de. 

A statute of Edward I, passed 
in 1283, giving protection to 
foreign merchants settled in 
England. 

Merchandise Marks Act. 

An Act passed in 1887, inflict- 
ing penalties for the use of false 
trade descriptions, and enacting 
that, in all cases of imported 
goods, when any question is 
likely to arise as to the country 
of origin, the same shall be 
clearly marked on the goods. 

Merchant Adventurers. 

A guild of merchants estab- 



lished in Brabant in 1296. They 
received special trading privi- 
leges in England from Henry 
VII, and in 1564 were given a 
charter of incorporation by 
Elizabeth. 

Merchant Shipping Act. 
See Plimsoll's Act. 

Merchants, Charter of the. 

A charter granted by Ed- 
ward I in 1303, to foreign mer- 
chants trading in England, 
which at the same time imposed 
import and export duties on 
wool and other commodities 
passing through their hands. 

Merciless Parliament. 

See Wonderful Parliament. 

Merry Monarch. 

A sobriquet of Charles II of 
England. 

Mestizos. 

In Spanish America persons 
of mixed European and Indian 
blood are so called. 

Metayage. 

A system of land tenure in 
France, prior to the Revolution, 
by which the tenant was sup- 
plied by the landlord with stock 
and farming implements, and 
the produce of the land, after 
payment of taxes, was divided 
equally between them. Farmers 
holding land on this tenure were 
called metayers. 

Methuen Treaty. 

A treaty between England 
and Portugal, signed in 1703, 
whereby the latter was induced 
. to join the Grand Alliance. It 
contained only two clauses, 
one admitting English woollen 
goods into Portugal, the other 
providing that Portuguese wines 
imported into England should 



1 64 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



only pay one-third of the duty 
levied on French wines. This 
treaty was abrogated on the 
signing of a commercial treaty 
between England and France in 
1786. 

Middle Kingdom. 

China is so called by the 
Chinese, who believe it to be 
the centre of the inhabited 
world. 

Mignon. 

A nickname of Henri III of 
France (1574-15 89). 

Mikado. 

The name by which the 
hereditary sovereign of Japan 
was known to Europeans, in 
the early days of intercourse 
with that country. From the 
time of the Shogun lyeyasu, 
in the early part of the seven- 
teenth century, the functions 
of the " Mikado " as a temporal 
ruler were usurped by the 
Shoguns, or Commanders-in- 
Chief, though he was always 
recognized as the de jure head 
of the State. Since the revolu- 
tion, however, he has resumed 
his rightful position as Emperor 
of Japan. The title is now in 
disuse, the Emperor being known 
as the Tenno. 

Milan Decree. 

A decree issued by Napoleon 
in 1807, as a reply to the Orders 
in Council, declaring that every 
vessel, of whatever nationality, 
sailing to or from a British 
port or colony, had forfeited her 
neutrality, and was a lawful 
prize. 

Mile Act. 

An Act of the Scottish Parlia- 
ment, passed in 1662, forbidding 
any minister who had failed to 



comply with the provisions of 
the Episcopal Ordination Act 
to reside within five miles of a 
royal borough, or within twenty 
of his own parish. 

Military Septennate. 

A compromise, introduced by 
Bismarck in the Reichstag, be- 
tween an annual vote for mili- 
tary purposes, and a vote for 
an indefinite period. It fixes 
the military establishment and 
the requisite supplies for a period 
of seven years. 

Millenary Petition. 

A petition presented to James 
I by certain Puritan clergymen 
of the Church of England, said 
to have numbered a thousand, 
asking to be relieved from the 
celebration of certain ceremonies 
to which they were conscienti- 
ously opposed. The petition 
was rejected. 

Million Act. 

An Act passed in 1692, autho- 
rising the raising of one million 
sterling by means of tontine 
annuities, in aid of the expenses 
of the French War. This is the 
first instance of the English 
Government raising money by 
means of annuities. 

Ministere de Trois Jours. 

The ministry of the Tiers Parti 
in France, under the Due de 
Bassano, in 1834. It held office 
for three days only. 

Ministry of All the Talents. 

A ministry under Lord Gren- 
ville, with Fox as Foreign 
Secretary, formed on the death 
of Pitt in 1806. It is so called 
because it was not formed ex- 
clusively from Grenville's sup- 
porters, but was an attempt to 
bring together the best men of 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 165 



various political shades. Thus 
Earl Spencer and Mr. Windham, 
who had been members of Pitt's 
first administration, held ofiice 
in it. 

Mints, Indian. 

These were closed to the free 
coinage of silver in 1893, and 
the value of the rupee for ex- 
change purposes fixed at is. 4d. 

Minute Men. 

A militia of 12,000 men en- 
rolled during the American 
Civil War by the State of Massa- 
chusetts. They bound them- 
selves to be ready for service at 
a moment's notice. 

Mir. 

The Russian village commune, 
holding and tilling land in com- 
mon. The land is divided into 
plots, of which a certain number 
are allotted to each family, in 
proportion to its size. These 
plots are farmed by the family 
in common, and they pay into 
the coffers of the Mir a certain 
fixed sum, retaining the rest 
for the general use of the family. 
The Mir is responsible to the 
Government for the payment 
of the taxes of the community, 
which are in the nature of a poU- 
tax on the adult males. The 
division of the land is periodic- 
ally revised, to meet changes in 
the circumstances of the differ- 
ent families. The affairs of the 
Mir are controlled by the village 
Elder, or Selski Starosta, who is 
elected by the heads of families. 

Mirabeau of the Mob. 

)^\ A sobriquet of Danton, the 

French revolutionary leader. 

Miracle of Nature. 

Christina, Queen of Sweden 
(1632-1654), was so called. 



Mise of Amiens. 

See Amiens. 

Mise of Lewes. 

See Lewes. 

Mississippi Scheme. 

A wild scheme, not unlike the 
South Sea Bubble, propounded 
by John Law in Paris in 17 18. 
A company was formed, which 
was permitted to establish a 
Bank of Issue, the shares of 
which were offered to the 
national creditors in exchange 
for their stock. The company 
was also granted a monopoly of 
the trade with Canada and the 
Mississippi. The usual inflation 
of values followed, and subse- 
quently the inevitable collapse, 
which almost amounted to na- 
tional bankruptcy. It is also 
called "Law's Bubble." 

Missouri Compromise. 

An agreement between the 
slavery and anti-slavery parties 
of the United States in 1821, 
arising out of the admission of 
Missouri to the Union as a free- 
labour State. It was deter- 
mined that slavery should only 
be lawful south of 36° 30' north 
latitude. This arrangement was 
maintained until 1854, when it 
was violated by the admission 
of Kansas and Nebraska as 
territories, with the right to 
decide the slavery question for 
themselves. 

Mitad. 

In South America, under 
Spanish rule, the bodily service 
to which every Indian from 
fifteen to fifty was liable. Those 
upon whom the lot fell had to 
work for six months in the mines, 
and such were the conditions of 
servitude that barely a fifth 
survived the ordeal. It is esti- 



i66 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



mated that over eight millions 
perished from, this cause in Peru 
alone. 

Mitchelstown Riot. 

A riot at Mitchelstown, co. 
Cork, at a Land League meeting 
in August, 1887. The Govern- 
ment reporter and his police 
escort endeavoured to force their 
way through the crowd to the 
platform, which the crowd re- 
sented. The police lost their 
heads and fired on the people. 
" Remember Mitchelstown " 
was for some time afterwards 
the watchword of the Land- 
leaguers. 

Mixed Pickles. 

The name. given to the Liberal 
Imperialist party in the first 
Reichstag of the German Em- 
pire. 

Model, The. 

The Constitution of Carolina, 
prepared by John Locke in 1670. 
It was the only constitution in 
America providing for an heredi- 
tary nobility, and recognizing 
different classes of citizens. It 
was in some respects feudal in 
its character, as the small culti- 
vator was adscriptus glehce, 
and had no franchise. North 
Carolina objected to the model, 
rose in revolt, and formed itself 
into a separate colony. 

Modern Gracchus. 

A sobriquet of the Comte de 
Mirabeau { 1 749- 1 80 1 ) . 

Modern Messalina. 

A name given to Catherine II 
of Russia ( 1 762-1 796), referring 
to her. vicious and cruel charac- 
ter. 

Moldavian Capitulation. 

A treaty signed in 15 12 be- 
tween Bogdan, Voivode of Mol- 



davia, and Selim I, Sultan of 
Turkey, by which Bogdan recog- 
nized the suzerainty of Turkey, 
and agreed to pay tribute. 

Molinists. 

The followers of Molina, the 
Spanish Jesuit, who was the 
principal antagonist of the Jan- 
senists and Port Royal. 

Mollahs. 

In Turkey, the name given 
to the principal judges, who, 
the law being more ecclesiastical 
than civil, exercise functions 
of almost a priestly character. 
In less civilized Moslem com- 
munities, as in Arabia, and 
among the Afridis and Afghans, 
the mollahs are priests or holy 
men. 

Molly Maguires. 

An agrarian society formed 
in Ireland in 1843, to resist dis- 
traint for rent. They took their 
name, originally " Maguires," 
from Cornelius Maguire, a leader 
in the Irish Rebellion of 1641, 
the word Molly being afterwards 
added because they usually 
dressed in women's clothes when 
engaged in their raids. 

Molly Maguires. 

An Irish secret society, which 
terrorized the mining districts 
of Pennsylvania from 1867 to 
1877. Its object was, appar- 
ently, to control the State and 
municipal politics. In the latter 
year, owing to informers, its 
leaders were discovered and con- 
victed, and the society broken 
up. 

Molokani. 

A Russian sect who model 
their institutions on the early 
Apostolic Church, as depicted 
in the New Testament. They 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 167 



are strong upholders of the right 
of private judgment, allowing 
considerable latitude to indi- 
vidual opinion within the fold. 

Monastic Orders. 

See Benedictines, Carmelites, 
Carthusians, Dominicans, Fran- 
ciscans, Jesuits, Theatins, 

Mongon, Treaty of. 

A treaty between France and 
Austria, signed in 1626, after the 
French invasion of the Valtel- 
line. It provided for a return 
in the Grisons and Valtelline to 
the status quoheiore i6iy. Only 
Catholicism was to be tolerated 
in the valley. The Valtelline 
was to have the right of electing 
her own magistrates, subject to 
the veto of the Grisons, and was 
to pay the Grisons an annual 
tribute. The forts in the Val- 
telline and Chiavenna were to 
be razed. 

Monetary Conference, Inter- 
national. 
A conference held at Brussels 
in 1892, to discuss the question 
of a bimetallic standard. Great 
diversity of opinion was shown 
by the delegates, and the con- 
ference dissolved without 
making any recommendations. 

Monroe Doctrine. 

A statement of policy in the 
message to Congress of Presi- 
dent Monroe in 1825, to the 
effect that the United States 
could not regard with indiffer- 
ence any further territorial 
expansion on the part of Euro- 
pean Powers on the American 
Continent. The occasion for 
the pronouncement was the 
suspected intention of the Holy 
Alliance to interfere on behalf 
of Spain in her struggle with her 
revolted colonies. Various in- 



terpretations have been given 
to this doctrine, some, like that 
of Mr. Olney, going much further 
than President Monroe's words 
warrant, but it is now generally 
held to mean that the United 
States will consider her interests 
involved, if any European Power 
seeks territorial aggrandise- 
ment in any part of America, 
or interferes with the internal 
affairs of any American State. 

Monsieur Veto. 

A nickname of Louis XVI, 
referring to the power given him 
by the Constitution of 1791 to 
veto the acts of the Legislative 
Assembly. Marie Antoinette 
was known as Madame Veto, as 
it was believed that it was largely 
her influence which induced the 
King to exercise his right. 

Montesa, Knights of. 

A Spanish order of religious 
chivalry, established in 1317. 
They succeeded the Templars 
in Aragon. 

Montpelier, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Louis XIII 
and the Huguenots, after their 
last appearance in arms in 1622. 
The King undertook to observe 
the Edict of Nantes, and gave 
the Huguenots two towns. La 
Rochelle and Montauban, as 
places of safety. 

Montrouge Club. 

A club composed of friends 
of the Due d' Orleans (Philippe 
Egalite), which was formed 
about 1789. Its object was to 
supplant the reigning dynasty 
by the Orleans branch. Among 
its prominent members were 
Mirabeau, Sieyes and Sillery. 

Montsioa War. 

In 1884 the Transvaal Boers 



i68 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



attacked Montsioa, a Bechuana 
chief under British protection, 
and forced him to make a treaty 
with them, in defiance of the 
London Convention. In the 
following year a force under Sir 
Charles Warren occupied the 
disturbed territory, which was 
brought under the British ad- 
ministration, and the Boers were 
forced to withdraw, 

Montt-Varistas. 

The extreme reactionaries of 
the Pelucones, or Conservative 
party, in Chile in 1850. They 
took their name from President 
Montt, and his Secretary of 
State, Varas. 

Moonlighters. 

An agrarian secret society, 
similar in its constitution and 
methods to the Whiteboys, 
which was guilty of numerous 
outrages in Ireland in 1881. 

Moors, Expulsion of. 

The final overthrow of the 
Moorish power in Spain was 
accomplished by the capture of 
Granada in 1492, under Ferdin- 
and and Isabella. The terms 
of capitulation provided that 
the Moors, while remaining under 
Spanish dominion, should pre- 
serve their own laws, language 
and religion, with the right to 
hold property free of molesta- 
tion. The non-Christian Moors 
were, however, expelled from 
Spain by Philip III in 16 10. 

Morant Bay Riots. 

An outbreak of negroes in 
Jamaica in 1865, which was 
promptly suppressed, and is 
only noteworthy as leading to 
the long controversy with regard 
to the action of Governor Eyre, 
whose repressive measures led 
to his recall. Several attempts 



were made to bring him to trial, 
but the case never got beyond 
the Grand Jury, who always 
declined to find a true bill. 

Moravians. 

A Protestant sect, having its 
origin in the Hussites, which 
was very numerous in Bohemia 
and Moravia in the sixteenth 
century. In 1627 they were 
expelled from these countries, 
and, later, settled in Saxony. 

Moray Letter. 

A letter purporting to be 
written by Garfield, on the eve 
of the Presidential Election in 
the United States in 1880, to a 
large employer of labour named 
Morey, It advocated free ad- 
mission of Chinese labour, and 
it was hoped by the Democrats 
would seriously injure the Re- 
publican cause on the Pacific 
Slope. It was of course a 
forgery. 

Mormons. 

A sect founded by Joseph 
Smith, the son of a Vermont 
farmer, in 1830, at Fayette, 
New York State. The Mor- 
mons moved westward and, 
after several years' wanderings, 
settled on the Great Salt Lake 
in 1847, under Brigham Young. 
Their advocacy of polygamy 
was for a long time a bar to the 
admission of Utah to the Union, 
but the enforcement of the 
Edmunds Act of 1882 led to the 
formal abandonment of poly- 
gamy as a tenet by the Mormons 
in 1890, and Utah was admitted 
a State in 1896. 

Mortmain, Statute of. 

A statute passed in 1279, to 
put a stop to the growing prac- 
tice of giving landed property 
to^l^the Church, and leceiving 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 169 



it back as tenants, thus evading 
feudal obligations. To prevent 
land thus passing into a dead 
hand (mortuum manum), all 
such alienations were forbidden, 
except with the King's consent. 

Morton's Fork. 

The scheme devised by Mor- 
ton, the Minister of Henry VII, 
to increase the revenues of the 
State. He exacted contribu- 
tions from those who lived well 
on the plea that they were 
obviously rich, and from those 
who lived plainly on the ground 
that their economy had made 
them wealthy. 

Mossbacks. 

The name given to an old- 
fashioned section of the Demo- 
cratic party in the United States, 
most numerous in Ohio. The 
word is derived from the popular 
name for the snapping turtle, 
which is so called from the 
growth of a species of aquatic 
moss on its shell. 

Most Holy Synod. 

A body charged with the 
administration of the Russian 
National Church. Its members 
are appointed and removed by 
the Czar, and its head, the Pro- 
curator, is practically an auto- 
crat in all matters of Church 
discipline. It has however no 
jurisdiction over matters of 
dogma. 

Mother Ann. 

The leader of the Shakers in 
Sussex, at the end of the eight- 
eenth century. Her name was 
Ann Lee. 

Mother of Presidents. 

The State of Virginia is so 
called, as having furnished no 
less than six Presidents of the 
United States. 



Mother of States. 

A name given to the State of 
Virginia, either as the oldest 
colony, or as having had five 
States, namely, Kentucky, Ohio, 
Indiana, Illinois and West Vir- 
ginia, formed out of her original 
territories. 

Moujik. 

The Russian peasant. 

Moulins, Edict of. 

An edict issued in 1566 by the 
Chancellor, de I'Hopital, after 
a conference of Notables repre- 
senting both the Huguenot and 
the Catholic parties. It dealt 
with the reform of judicial pro- 
cedure. 

Mountain. 

The Jacobins, or ultra-revo- 
lutionary party in the Conven- 
tion during the French Revolu- 
tion. Its leaders were Danton 
and Robespierre. The Moun- 
tain came to an end with the 
fall of Robespierre and his 
followers on the 9 th Thermidor 
(July 28, 1794). It was so 
called because its members occu- 
pied the upper tiers of seats in 
the Convention. 

Mountain Meadow Massacre. 

The massacre by Indians, 
under Mormon leadership, of a 
party of 140 emigrants, who 
were crossing Utah on their way 
to California in 1857. The 

Mormons had been for some 
time in difficulties with the 
United States Government, and 
Federal troops were in the 
neighbourhood of Salt Lake 
City, but no hostilities had taken 
place. The leader of the band, 
J. D. Lee, a Mormon Bishop, 
was executed for the crime on 
the actual site of the massacre 
in 1877. 



I70 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Mountain Men. 

A name given to the Camer- 
onians. 

Mugwumps. 

A section of the Republican 
party in the United States who, 
in 1884, supported Cleveland, 
the Democratic candidate for 
President, owing to his advo- 
cacy of Civil Service Reform. 
The word is also applied to those 
who for various reasons decline 
to attach themselves definitely 
to either of the great political 
parties. 

Mulmutine Laws. 

A code of laws said to have 
been drawn up by Mulmutius, 
King of the Britons, circ. 400 b.c. 
They were translated by Alfred 
the Great, and remained the 
basis of English law until the 
Conquest. 

Mundebunde or Mundium. 

Among the Franks the pro- 
tection afforded by the King 
or a feudal lord to an ecclesiastic 
or other person not being an 
ordinary vassal. 

Municipal Reform Act. 

An Act passed in 1835, dealing 
with 178 municipalities. In the 
majority of these the election to 
municipal offices had been en- 
tirely in the hands of the free- 
men, often a very small minority 
of the inhabitants. The Act 
instituted an electoral qualifica- 
tion of three years' residence, 
and the payment of poor and 
borough rates. It also estab- 
lished town councils, and pro- 
vided for an independent audit* 

Mustafiz. 

The second line of reserve, or 
militia, of the Turkish army. 



Mutiny Act. 

This Act was passed for the 
first time in 1689, for one year 
only, and has since that time 
been passed annually. It gives 
disciplinary powers to the offi- 
cers of the army and navy, apart 
from the ordinary process of law, 
and neither service could be 
maintained without it. 

Mutualists. 

A secret association of the 
chefs d' ateliers, or middlemen, of 
the Lyons weavers.which ordered 
a strike of workmen in April, 
1834. The strike resulted in a 
rising, which was promptly sup- 
pressed, and the leaders were 
prosecuted under the Associa- 
tions Law. 



N 



Nag's Head Controversy. 

A controversy which arose 
over an allegation of the Roman 
Catholics, in 1599, that Arch- 
bishop Parker's consecration, 
forty years previously, had 
taken place in the most in- 
formal manner at the Nag's Head 
Tavern, in Cheapside. The 
statement was proved to be 
entirely devoid of foundation. 

Nanking, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Great Brit- 
ain and China, signed in 1842, 
at the close of the Opium War. 
By its terms England secured 
Hong Kong in perpetuity, and 
Shanghai and other ports were 
opened to foreign trade. 

Napoleon of Peace. 

A sobriquet of Louis Philippe, 
whose peaceful reign of eighteen 
years was a marked contrast to 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 171 



the constant wars of the Napo- 
leonic era. 

Natal, Republic of. 

A republic founded by emi- 
grant burghers from Cape Colony 
in 1838. It stretched from the 
Drakensberg to the sea, and 
from the Tugela to the Umzim- 
vubu river, while Zululand, 
under Panda, was tributary 
to it. The British Govern- 
ment never recognized the re- 
public, and in 1842 steps were 
taken to obtain possession of 
the country, in which a regular 
colonial government was estab- 
lished in 1845. 

Nation of Shopkeepers. 

A phrase first applied to 
England by Samuel Adams, the 
American politician, in 1776. It 
is generally attributed to Napo- 
leon, but was probably taken 
by him from a translation of the 
speech in which it occurs. 

National Association for King 
William. 
An association formed on the 
discovery of the Assassination 
Plot in 1696, at the suggestion 
of Sir Rowland Gwyn. The 
signatories declared their loyalty 
to the King, and bound them- 
selves to take vengeance on all 
who might attempt his life. 

National Debt. 

The origin of the National 
Debt was a loan raised by Mon- 
tague, afterwards Lord Halifax, 
in 1693. The lenders were life- 
annuitants, and as each died 
his annuity was divided among 
the survivors till only seven 
remained; after which, on the 
death of each of the seven, his 
portion was absorbed by the 
Government. 



National Guard. 

An urban militia raised in 
Paris in 1789 by Flesselles, 
Prevot des Marchands. It took 
a leading part in the destruction 
of the Bastille. 

National Guards. 

A body of volunteers raised 
by Napper Tandy in Ireland in 
1792. They were promptly sup- 
pressed by the Government. 

National Scouts. 

A force recruited from sur- 
rendered Boers, for service as 
scouts with the British Army, 
during the latter stages of the 
Boer War of 1 899-1902. 

Nationalverein. 

An association formed in 
1859, the declared object of 
which was to substitute for the 
Confederation the German con- 
stitution of 1848, under the 
hegemony of Prussia, and to the 
complete exclusion of Austria. 
Its founder was Baron Benigsen 
of Hanover. 

Nations, Battle of the. 

The Battle of Leipsic, fought 
on October 16, 17 and 18, 1813, 
is so called. Five nations — 
France, Prussia, Russia, Austria 
and Sweden, were engaged. 

Naturalia. 

The contributions in kind 
exacted for the support of the 
royal household among the 
Franks. 

Naturalization Act. 

An Act of Congress passed in 
1870, which, while authorizing 
the naturalization of the African 
negro, declined to admit to the 
citizenship Indians and Chinese. 

Naundorff Claimant. 

A claim was brought before 



172 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



the French courts in 1874 by 
the son of a clock-maker of 
Delft, named Naundorff. The 
claimant, who called himself 
Adalbert de Bourbon, demanded 
to be recognized as the grand- 
son of Louis XVI, on the ground 
that his father, Naundorff, was 
in reality the Dauphin, who had 
been imprisoned in the Temple, 
and of whose escape he told a 
marvellous story. The courts 
dismissed his claim. 

Navigation Act. 

An Act passed in 165 1, under 
the Commonwealth, prohibiting 
the importation of goods into 
England except in British ships, 
or in ships belonging to the 
country of origin of the goods. 
The Act was renewed in 1672, 
and, with the modifications then 
introduced, continued in force 
till the Treaty of Ghent in 18 14, 
when the English Government 
agreed to suspend its operation 
so far as concerned vessels of the 
United States. 

Neck Verse. 

A verse of the Psalms, read 
by condemned criminals who 
claimed "benefit of clergy," as a 
test of their clerkship. It was 
so called because those who 
succeeded in reading it in 
clerkly fashion were handed 
over to the ecclesiastical au- 
thorities, and saved their neckss 

Negus. 

The title of the King of Abys- 
sinia or Ethiopia. 

Nemours, Edict of. 

An edict issued by Henri III 
in 1785, withdrawing all the 
privileges accorded to the Hu- 
guenots by previous edicts, and 
giving them six months to 



conform to the Roman Catholic 
Church or to leave the realm. 

Nepaul Treaty. 

A treaty signed in 1815, at 
the end of the Ghoorka war, 
between the British and Nepaul. 
By its provisions Nepaul relin- 
quished all rights over the Hill 
Rajahs west of the Kali river, 
ceded the major portion of the 
Terai, restored the territory 
conquered from the Rajah of 
Sikkim, and agreed to receive 
a British resident at Khat- 
mandu. 

Neri. 

See Bianchi. 

Nertchinsk, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Russia and 
China signed in 1689, and 
notable as being the first con- 
vention between China and a 
European Power. This treaty 
put a stop for nearly 150 years 
to Russia's eastward expansion 
in Siberia. 

Nestor of Europe. 

Leopold I, King of the Bel- 
gians ( 1 831-1865) was so called. 

Neuf Thermidor. 

July 27, 1794, the day on 
which the Decree of Accusation 
was launched aganst Robes- 
pierre, Couthon, St. Just and 
the other extremists of the 
Revolution, thus putting an 
end to the Reign of Terror. 

New Custom. 

A system of granting to 
foreign merchants the privilege 
of trading with English ports 
in return for a subsidy. This 
system was introduced by 
Edward I in 1303, and is the 
origin of Customs Duties. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS' 173 



New Departure. 

A change of programme on 
the part of a section of the 
Democratic party in the United 
States in 1871. They admitted 
that all, including negroes, were 
entitled to equal rights and 
fuU citizenship, but demanded 
a universal amnesty for the 
Southerners, condemned pro- 
tective duties as levied solely 
in the interests of the Northern 
manufacturers, and strongly pro- 
tested against the Force Bill of 
1870. 

New England Confederation. 

A union of the four New 
England Colonies, Massachu- 
setts Bay, Plymouth, New 
Haven, and Connecticut, formed 
in 1643 for mutual protection 
against the Dutch and the 
Indians. 

New Learning. 

The name given in England 
to the revival of learning in the 
West, the first manifestation 
of which was the Italian Re- 
naissance. 

New Model. 

The name given to the Par- 
liamentary Army as reformed 
by the Self-denying Ordinance 
of 1645. 

New Republic. 

A republic formed in 1884 
in what was later the Vryheid 
district of the Transvaal, the 
territory having been given by 
Dinizulu to certain Boers in 
return for their help in his war 
with Usibepu. Lucas Meyer 
was elected president, but the 
republic was short-lived, being 
absorbed by the South African 
Republic in 1887. 



New Roof. 

A nickname given to the 
Constitution of the United 
States shortly after its pro- 
mulgation . 

New Style. 

The name given to the Gre- 
gorian Calendar, introduced into 
England by the Calendar Act 
of 1752. 

New Tipperary. 

A township started in 1890, 
under the Plan of Campaign, 
with the object of bringing to 
terms the owner of the land on 
which the town of Tipperary 
stands. The scheme was a 
complete fiasco, and collapsed 
in 1891. 

New Unionism. 

This form of trade unionism 
had its rise about 1884. It 
differs from the old unionism 
in that it is frankly Socialistic 
in its tendencies, and demands 
State interference between 
workmen and employers, 
whereas the old demanded only 
to be left alone and to be al- 
lowed the right of combination 
for the advancement of the 
interests of the workers. 

New Zealand Centralization. 

By an Act passed in 1876, 
during the premiership of Sir 
Julius Vogel, the nine provinces 
of New Zealand were united, 
with one Parliament sitting at 
Wellington. The nine provin- 
cial Parliaments were abolished, 
their administrative functions 
being entrusted to road boards 
in the country districts and 
municipalities in the towns. 

Newcastle Programme. 

The platform of the Liberal 
party at the general election 



174 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



of 1892, based on resolutions 
passed at the meeting of the 
National Liberal Federation at 
Newcastle in October, 1891. 
The " planks " of the platform 
-were Abolition of the House of 
Lords, Home Rule, Disestab- 
lishment of the Church in 
Wales, Taxation of Ground 
"Values, and One Man One Vote. 

Newfoundland Fisheries. 
See French Shore. 

Newport, Treaty of. 

The final attempt of the 
Parliament to come to terms 
with the King in 1648. Nego- 
tiations were opened at New- 
port, but the King contested 
every demand of the Parlia- 
ment, and the Independents, 
supported by the Army, lost 
patience, and confined the King 
in Hurst Castle. 

Nicaea, Second Council of. 

An GEcumenical Council held 
during the reign of the Empress 
Irene, at which the decrees of 
the Council of Constantinople 
with regard to image-worship 
were reversed. 

Nichan-Sherif. 

A decree of the Sultan Ahmed 
I in 1604, granting the Venetians 
certain trading and navigating 
facilities in the Ottoman domi- 
nions. 

Nightmare of Europe. 

A sobriquet of the Great 
Napoleon. 

Nihilists. 

The Russian revolutionary 
society, an important section 
of which is in favour of phy- 
sical force. Their position is 
perhaps best explained by the 
manifesto issued after the assas- 
sination of the Czar Alexander 



II in 1 88 1, in which they 
declare their object to be the 
amelioration of the condition 
of the peasantry, and the intro- 
duction of more civilized me- 
thods of government. They go 
on to say that Russia demands 
a new system, and that, their 
peaceful efforts having only 
met with repression, they have 
been driven to adopt violent 
means to gain their ends. 

Nimeguen, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1678, 
following the five years' war of 
Louis XIV against Holland and 
Spain. Louis obtained Franche- 
Comte and sixteen fortresses in 
the Spanish Netherlands. 

Nimes, Edict of. 

An edict issued in 1629, 
shortly after the fall of La 
Rochelle, which, while con- 
firming the religious freedom 
granted to the Huguenots by 
the Edict of Nantes, deprived 
them of their special political 
status, an4 thus broke up the 
Huguenot League. 

Nine Articles, Constitution of. 

A constitution drawn up at 
Winburg in 1837 by the emi- 
grant burghers who had settled 
between the Orange and the 
Vaal rivers after the Great Trek. 
A Volksraad was elected, and 
the burghers bound themselves 
to observe ' the old Roman- 
Dutch law, except when incon- 
sistent with the articles of the 
constitution. 

Ninety-eight. 

The Irish rebellion under 
Lord Edward Fitzgerald and 
Wolfe Tone in 1798. The rebel- 
lion had been carefully planned 
for some years before the out- 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 175 



break, and, the sympathies of 
the French having been en- 
listed, a landing by Hoche was 
attempted at Bantry Bay. This 
was unsuccessful, and a little 
later Humbert, who landed at 
Kniala, was forced to surrender 
to Lord Cornwallis. Horrible 
outrages were perpetrated by 
the rebels, and the consequent 
reprisals gave a most blood- 
thirsty character to the whole 
affair. The rebels were finally 
defeated at Vinegar Hill, which 
put an end to all organized 
resistance, though there were 
a few isolated risings from 
time to time. Wolfe Tone 
was captured and condemned 
to death, but escaped the 
scaffold by suicide. Fitzgerald 
was kiQed a few days before the 
outbreak, resisting the military 
who were about to arrest him. 

Nine Worthies. 

This title was given to nine 
members of the Privy Council 
of WiUiam III. namely, the Duke 
of Devonshire, the Earls of 
Nottingham, Dorset, Monmouth, 
Orford, Pembroke and Marl- 
borough, Lord Caermarthen, and 
Sir John Lowther. 

Nizam. 

The regular infantry of the 
Turkish Army. 

No Popery Agitation. 

An agitation against the ac- 
tion of the Pope in creating 
Cardinal Wiseman Archbishop 
of Westminster in 185 1. To 
appease the Protestant party 
the Government brought in the 
Ecclesiastical Titles Bill. 

Nobles' War. 

The rising of Rhenish knights 
under Franz von Sickingen in 



1522. They were bitterly hos- 
tile to the Suabian League and 
to the new institutions, such as 
the Reichskammergericht. The 
rising was suppressed in the 
following year. 

Noces Vermeilles. 

"The blood-red wedding" was 
the name given afterwards to the 
marriage between the Pro- 
testant Henry of Navarre and 
the Catholic Marguerite de 
Valois in May 1572, only three 
months before the massacre of 
the Huguenots on the eve of 
St. Bartholomew. 

Noche Triste. 

The night of June 20, 1520, 
when the Spaniards under 
Cortes were attacked by the 
Mexicans as they were eva- 
cuating Mexico, and suffered 
very heavy losses. 

Noir, Code. 

The code of laws promulgated 
by Louis XIV in 1685 to be 
enforced in the West Indian 
colonies of France. It had 
special reference to the treat- 
ment of negroes, whether slaves 
or freedmen. 

Nomansland. 

The district south of the 
Basuto country, now known as 
Griqualand East, was so called 
in i860. It was settled in 1861 
by the migration of Adam Kok 
and his tribe of Griquas from 
the country they had previously 
occupied between the Orange 
and the Riet Rivers. 

Nomansland. 

A district lying between Kan- 
sas, New Mexico, Texas, and the 
Indian territory, which now 
forms part of the territory of 
Oklahoma. 



1/6 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



The same name is given to 
a strip of land in dispute be- 
tween the States of Delaware 
and Pennsylvania. 

Nominees, Assembly of. 

Barebone's Parliament is 
sometimes known by this name. 

Non-Compounders. 
See Compounders, 

Non- Jurors. 

The clergymen, between three 
and four hundred in number, 
who refused to take the oaths 
of allegiance and supremacy on 
the accession of William III in 
1689. 

Non-Resistance. 

The doctrine that it was a 
deadly sin to oppose the will 
of the King as being sovereign 
by Divine right. This tenet 
was preached by the Anglican 
clergy in the times of the 
Stuarts. It was also called the 
"Doctrine of Passive Obedience." 

Nore, Mutiny at the. 

The name usually given to' 
the mutinies in the fleet at the 
Nore and Spithead, which broke 
out in 1797. The discontent, 
due to real grievances, first 
showed itself at Spithead, where 
Lord Howe, who was in com- 
mand, succeeded by his tact 
in arranging matters satisfac- 
torily, and nothing very serious 
occurred. At the Nore the 
mutiny assumed a political 
character, the men demanding 
a revision of the Articles of War 
and other impossible conces- 
sions. Their demands being 
refused the mutineers seized 
the fleet, but gradually yielded, 
and finally Parker, the ring- 
leader, was arrested and hanged, 
with four or five others. 



Norman Reconciliation. 

See Baiser de Lamourette. 

North, Council of the. 

A council established by 
Henry VIII in 1536, after the 
Insurrection of the North, to 
deal with questions arising out 
of that event. In the reign of 
Charles I it was reorganized by 
Wentworth on the lines of the 
Star Chamber, and it was 
finally abolished by Act of 
Parliament in 164 1. 

North, Society of the. 

A Russian secret society. 
(See December Rising.) 

North German Confederation. 

A confederation of twenty- 
two States north of the Maine, 
formed in 1867, after the sign- 
ing of the Treaty of Prague, 
under the perpetual presidency 
of Prussia. Two assemblies 
were formed, one, the Reichs- 
tag, being representative of the 
people, the other, the Bundes- 
rath, being cq^iposed of dele- 
gates from the Governments 
of the twenty-two States. 

Northampton, Treaty of. 

A treaty between England 
and Scotland, signed in 1328, 
by which Robert Bruce was 
acknowledged as King of Scot- 
land, and the independence of 
Scotland was recognized, Ed- 
ward III renouncing his suze- 
rainty. Bruce agreed to pay 
compensation for damage in 
the North of England, and to 
reinstate the Scottish lords 
who had been dispossessed on 
account of their supporting 
Edward. 

Nottingham, Peace of. 

A treaty signed between 
jiEthelred and the Northmen in 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 177 



868, by which Mercia was saved 
from their depredations. 

Noyades. 

The Vendean refugees who 
had fled to Nantes in 1793 
were, by order of Carrier, 
crowded into boats, which were 
towed out into the middle of 
the river and sunk. This whole- 
sale murder is known as "The 
Noyades." 

Nuevas Ordenanzas. 

A code of laws designed to 
ameliorate the condition of the 
Indians in the Spanish Colonies, 
promulgated at Madrid in 1543. 
They were largely due to the 
efforts of Las Casas. 

Nullifiers. 

The supporters of State Rights 
in the Southern States were 
thus called, from the action of 
South Carolina, in 1832, in declar- 
ing unconstitutional and " nul- 
lifying " an Act of Congress 
imposing import duties on tex- 
tile fabrics. 

Number Forty-five. 

The famous number of the 
North Briton, which appeared 
on April 23, 1763, and attacked 
the King's Speech at the close 
of the previous session. It 
led to the expulsion of John 
Wilkes from the House of 
Commons. 

Nun of Kent. 

Elizabeth Barton, a woman 
of humble birth, who claimed 
to have the gift of prophecy, 
and formed a rallying point 
for the discontented Catholics 
after the divorce of Catherine 
by Henry VIII. She was in 
correspondence with Catherine 
and with the Emperor, and 
although no treasonable prac- 



tices could be proved against 
her, she was . an undoubted 
danger to the State. She was 
arrested and executed in 1534. 

Nutmeg State. 

A name given derisively to 
the State of Connecticut in 
allusion to their supposed large 
trade in wooden nutmegs. 

Nystad, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Russia and 
Sweden, signed in 172 1, at the 
conclusion of the prolonged 
war which had been commenced 
in 1700. Peter the Great se- 
cured for Russia the provinces 
of Livonia, Esthonia, Ingria» 
Carelia, and part of Finland. 



O.P. Riots. 

A series of riots which dis- 
turbed London in 1809, owing 
to Kemble having raised the 
prices at Covent Garden The- 
atre. The mob demanded the 
" old prices." Chfford, a bar- 
rister, was charged with inciting 
to riot by appearing in the 
theatre with the letters "O.P." 
in his hat, but was acquitted, 
whereupon Kemble gave way. 

Oakboys. 

An agrarian society in Ulster 
in 1763. It was formed to 
protest against the action of 
the Grand Juries, who had de- 
cided upon the construction of 
certain roads which the pea- 
santry maintained were to be 
made solely in the interests of 
the great landowners. 

Oath of Allegiance. 

A formula drawn up after 
Gunpowder Plot in 1606, which 
N 



178 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



asserted the supremacy of the 
Sovereign in ecclesiastical mat- 
ters, and denied the power of 
the Pope to relieve his subjects 
from their allegiance, or to 
depose him. 

Oath of Strasburg. 

The oath of allegiance taken 
by Charles and Louis, the sons 
of Louis le Debonnaire, to their 
brother Lothair, the Emperor, 
after the battle of Fontenay in 
841. 

Oberstuhlherr. 

The chief of the Westphalian 
Vehmgericht, as representative 
of the Emperor. The post was 
usually filled by the Archbishop 
of Cologne. 

Oblivion and Indemnity, Act of. 
A proclamation under the 
Great Seal in 1603, by which 
James I promised a complete 
amnesty to all those who had 
taken part in the rebellions in 
Ireland during the reign of his 
predecessor. 

Occasional Conformity Bill. 

A bill introduced into Par- 
liament in 1703 to render 
illegal the practice of non- 
conformists receiving the sacra- 
ment according to the rites 
of the Church of England, in 
order to qualify for municipal 
office, and then returning to 
their own form of worship. 
The bill entailed heavy penal- 
ties on all those who held office 
under these conditions. The 
bill failed to pass, was re- 
introduced in the following 
session, and was again thrown 
out, while a further attempt 
to pass it in 1704 was defeated 
by the Lords. It at last became 
Jaw in 171 1. 



O'Connell's Tail. 

The nickname given to the 
following of Daniel O'Connell 
in the House of Commons, after 
the passing of the Reform Bill 
of 1832. 

October Club. 

A club composed of Tories and 
Jacobites, formed in 17 10. 
Among its members were Bo- 
lingbroke and his followers. 

Odal. 

A system of land tenure 
among the Norsemen, by 
which property in the land 
was absolute. It was prob- 
ably land allotted to the 
warrior after conquest, to be 
held by him and his descend- 
ants, though according to the 
Gulathing's law, it could not 
become Odal until it had been 
held for three generations. The 
udallers of Orkney hold under 
this tenure. 

Odalsthing. 

See Storthing. 

QEcumenical Councils. 

The General Councils of the 
Church accepted by ecclesias- 
tical authorities as genuinely 
OEcumenical are twenty-one in 
number, namely : two of Ni- 
caea, four of Constantinople, 
Ephesus, Chalcedon, five La- 
teran Councils, two of Lyons, 
Vienna, Constance, Basle, Flor- 
ence, Trent and the Vatican. 

CEil de Boeuf. 

The name given to the ante- 
chamber in the Palace of Ver- 
sailles. It was so called from 
two bull's-eye windows near the 
ceiling. 

Ohio Company. 
A company of Virginian set- 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 179 



tiers who colonised the Ohio 
Valley under a charter from 
the British Government in 1749. 

Old Abe. 

A nickname of President 
Abraham Lincoln. 

Old Catholics. 

A section of the Roman Cath- 
olics in Germany who, under the 
leadership of Dr. DoUinger, 
rejected the dogma of Papal 
Infallibility imposed by the 
Vatican Council in 1870. 

Old Czechs. 

The Conservative section of 
the Czech or National party in 
Bohemia. 

Old Dominion. 

A name given to the State 
of Virginia, as the original 
English Colony in America. 

Old Glorious. 

A sobriquet of William III 
of England. 

Old Hickory. 

Andrew Jackson, President 
of the United States from 1829 
to 1837, was so called on account 
of his obstinacy of character. 

Old Hunkers. 

The Conservative wing of the 
Democratic party in New York, 
I 824-1 848. 

Old Line State. 

The State of Maryland is so 
called with reference to the 
Mason and Dixon Line, which 
divides it from Pennsylvania. 

Old Man of the Mountain. 

See Assassins. 

Old Morality. 

A nickname of Mr. W. H. 
Smith, leader of the House of 
Commons from 1887 to 1891. 



Old Noll. 

A nickname of Ohver Crom- 
well. 

Old Pretender. 

James Edward, son of James 
II, was so called by the adher- 
ents of the Hanoverian suc- 
cession. 

Old Rough and Ready. 

General Zachary Taylor, Pre- 
sident of the United States in 
1849, was so called by his 
soldiers during the Mexican 



Old Rowley. 

A nickname of Charles IL 

Old Style. 

The old or Julian Calendar, 
superseded in England by the 
Gregorian in 1751, but still in 
use in Russia. 

Oleron, Laws of. 

A code of commercial and 
maritime laws founded on the 
Consolato del Mare, issued in 
the reign of Louis IX of France. 

Olive Branch Petition. 

An appeal to the King by 
the Second American Congress, 
1775, expressing a desire for 
reconciliation, but offering no 
concessions. The King, how- 
ever, refused to receive it, on 
the ground that it was issued by 
an unauthorized assembly. 

Olmiitz, Convention of. 

Also called the Humiliation 
of Olmiitz. A convention 
signed in 1850 between Prussia 
and Austria, by which the 
former Power renounced all her 
projects of union, and recog- 
nized the restoration of the 
old Germanic Diet, under the 
presidency of Austria. 



i8o DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Olney Doctrine. 

An extension of the Monroe 
Doctrine put forward by Mr. 
Olney, President Cleveland's 
Secretary of State, in a des- 
patch on the Venezuela bound- 
ary question in July, 1895. 
He claimed that Great Britain 
had no right to interfere on the 
American Continent, and that, 
if force was necessary, British 
Guiana must rely on her own 
resources, without calling in 
aid from Great Britain. He 
further maintained that the 
United States had a right to 
insist upon all claims concern- 
ing questions of territory being 
submitted to arbitration un- 
reservedly, and was justified in 
taking steps to satisfy herself 
that no territory had been or 
was being unwarrantably an- 
nexed. Lord Salisbury abso- 
lutely repudiated this doctrine, 
and refused in any sense to 
accept it as binding on Great 
Britain. 

Omladina. 

A secret society having its 
headquarters in^'Servia, whose 
object is the establishment of 
a Pan-Slavic confederation on a 
republican basis. It has from 
time to time caused Austria 
some trouble in Bohemia. 

Open Door. 

The declared English policy 
in China, as opposed to the 
policy of " Spheres of Influ- 
ence." It is defined in the 
Anglo-German agreement of 
1900 as the free access, under 
equal conditions, of all nations 
to the ports, rivers and littorals 
of China. 

Opium Commission. 

A commission appointed in 



1893 to inquire into, the opium 
question in India. The com- 
mission reported in 1895, eight 
out of nine members signing 
the report, to the effect that 
the use of opium in India was 
strictly moderate, that native 
opinion made no demand for 
restriction, that any interfer- 
ence with the growing of opium 
in the native states would be 
unjustifiable, and that the 
Government of China was per- 
fectly satisfied with the existing 
arrangements as to the opium 
trade. There was, therefore, 
in the opinion of the commis- 
sioners, absolutely no ground 
for legislative interference. 

Opium War. 

The war with China in 1840 
is so called, because it arose out 
of the action of the Chinese 
authorities, who in their efforts 
to stop opium smuggling, in- 
sisted on the forfeiture of the 
stocks of opium in the hands 
of British merchants in China. 
It resulted in the cession to 
Great Britain in perpetuity of 
Hong Kong, and the opening 
of Canton, Amoy, Foochow, 
Ningpo and Shanghai as treaty 
ports. 

Opportunists. 

A school, rather than a party, 
in French politics who, unlike 
the Doctrinaires, do not seek 
to enforce their views in season 
and out of season, but allow due 
weight to considerations of 
expediency. Among them may 
be named Gambetta and Jules 
Ferry. 

Orange Peel. 

A nickname given to Sir 
Robert Peel, when Chief Secre- 
tary for Ireland in 18 12-18, 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS i8i 



on account of the strong anti- 
Catholic bias he is considered 
to have displayed. 

Orangemen. 

A society of the Protestants 
of Ulster, founded in 1790, 
originally in opposition to the 
Catholic Defenders. It has 
remained, however, a strong 
and important body in the 
north of Ireland, firmly at- 
tached to the Union, and bit- 
terly anti-Catholic. 

Ordainers, Lords. 

A commission of twenty-one 
persons, to whom the Govern- 
ment of England was confided 
for a period of eighteen months 
(1309-13 10) during the reign 
of Edward II. Their task was 
to propound a scheme for the 
reform of the Government. 

Ordeal, Trial by. 

This is of Norse origin, and 
was practised in England in 
Anglo-Saxon and early Norman 
times. The ordeal was of 
various kinds, one of the most 
severe consisting in the accused 
walking barefoot and blindfold 
over red-hot ploughshares. If 
within a given period the burns 
so caused were not healed he 
was adjudged guilty. The or- 
deal was forbidden by the 
Fourth Lateran Council in 12 15. 

Orders in Council, 1807. 

England's reply to Napoleon's 
Berlin Decree, establishing the 
Continental Blockade, was the 
issue of a series of Orders in 
Council. They forbade vessels 
to trade between any ports in 
France or the territories of the 
allies, granted the right of 
reprisals against Tuscany, Na- 
ples, Dalmatia and the Ionian 
Islands, declared a blockade 



against all ports from which the 
English flag was excluded, and 
finally declared the sale of 
ships by a belligerent to a neutral 
illegal. These orders had a 
very serious effect upon the 
American carrying trade, and 
the irritation caused thereby 
was one of the causes of the 
outbreak of war in 18 12. 

Ordinance of 1784. 

An Act providing for the 
Government of the North-West 
Territory, passed by the United 
States Congress in 1784. 

Ordinance of 1787. 

An Act of Congress making 
further provision for the gov- 
ernment of the North-West 
Territory, and decreeing free- 
dom from slavery and religious 
toleration. 

Ordinances. 

The articles of reform pre- 
pared by the Lords Ordainers 
in the reign of Edward II and 
agreed to by the King and 
Parliament in 131 1. They pro- 
vided that no war should be 
undertaken without the consent 
of Parliament, that all customs 
duties imposed since the death 
of Edward I should be re- 
moved ; that the great officers 
of state should be nominated 
with the consent of Parliament ; 
that Parliament should meet 
annually, and that the King's 
undesirable companions should 
be removed and his household 
reformed. Piers Gaveston in 
particular being banished from 
the kingdom. 

Ordonnance de Mai. 

An edict issued in May, 141 3, 
by Charles VI of France, re- 
forming the finances and abo- 



i82 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



lishing numerous sinecures 
about the Court. 

Ordonnances de Juillet. 

The decrees issued by Charles 
X on July 24, 1830. The first 
suspended the liberty of the 
Press, the second dissolved the 
Chamber of Deputies, and the 
third ordained that the future 
Chamber should consist only 
of Deputies from the Depart- 
ments. A revolutionary out- 
break, fomented by the jour- 
nalists, followed immediately on 
the promulgation of these ordin- 
ances, and Charles fled from 
Paris, and abdicated on Au- 
gust 3. 

Oregon Treaty. 

A treaty between Great Bri- 
tain and the United States, 
signed in 1846, defining the 
frontier between Oregon and 
British Columbia. It involved 
the settlement of the claim to 
Vancouver Island in favour of 
Great Britain. 

Organic Statute. 

A Russian ukase, issued in 
1832, withdrawing constitu- 
tional government from Poland. 

Organizer of Victory. 

Lazare Nicolas Carnot, the 
revolutionary leader, was so 
called during the wars of the 
French Revolution. 

Oriflamme. 

The ancient standard of 
France : a crimson flag attached 
to a gilded lance. 

Orleanists. 

The party among the French 
Royalists who supported the 
claims of the Orleans Branch 
of the French Royal Family 
to the throne of France. On 
the death of the last of the 



French Bourbons in 1883 the 
party was augmented by the 
adhesion of the majority of the 
Legitimists. 

Orleans, Edict of. 

An edict issued in 1561 by 
the Chancellor, de I'Hopital, 
proclaiming certain reforms in 
the Church and the Justiciary. 
In the former category were 
included the abolition of an- 
nates and of the sale of bene- 
fices, and in the latter the 
abolition of all extraordinary 
Courts of Justice. It further 
authorized the Government to m 

take possession of the surplus « 
income of all religious com- ^ 
munities, and to apply the sum 
thus obtained to educational 
purposes. 

Ormee. 

The name given to the in- 
surrectionary government es- 
tablished at Bordeaux in 1652. 
It is derived from the fact of 
the leaders of the movement 
holding their meetings under 
a large elm near the Fort 
du Ha. 

Orphan of the Temple. 

Marie Therese, Duchess of 
Angouleme, the x daughter of 
Louis XVI, was so called in 
allusion to her three years' 
imprisonment in the Temple in 
Paris. 

Orsini Bombs. 

A conspiracy to murder Na- 
poleon III by blowing up his 
carriage as he was on his way 
to the opera in 1858. The 
Emperor escaped unhurt, but 
ten persons were killed and 
158 injured by the explosion 
of the bombs. Orsini, who 
was captured and executed, had 
been a refugee in London, 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 183 



where the plot was hatched, a 
fact which led to an intensely 
hostile feeling towards England 
on the part of the French. 

Ostend Manifesto. 

The outcome of a conference 
at Ostend in 1854 between 
Messrs. Buchanan, Mason and 
Soule, the representatives of 
the United States at the Courts 
of Great Britain, France and 
Spain respectively. They were 
asked to advise on the Cuban 
question, and advised their 
Government that the proper 
course was purchase, or if 
Spain refused to sell, that the 
United States were fully justi- 
fied in using force if they felt 
themselves sufficiently power- 
ful. 

Otokodate. 

In old Japan a friendly 
association of the Chonin, or 
wardsmen of the large towns. 
They were very particular as 
to the character of their mem- 
bers, their aim being mutual 
assistance against oppression 
and wrong-doing of every kind, 
while among themselves they 
were a sort of benefit society, 
aiding those of their members 
who through misfortune were 
in need of assistance. 

Ottawa Conference. 

A conference of delegates 
from the British self-governing 
colonies, held at Ottawa in 
1894. The conference agreed 
to resolutions asking for Impe- 
rial legislation enabling the 
Colonies to enter into treaties 
of reciprocity with each other, 
and the denunciation of exist- 
ing foreign treaties which pre- 
vented this. The delegates fur- 
ther pronounced in favour of 



preferential customs arrange- 
ments between the Mother 
Country and the Colonies, of 
a line of fast steamers between 
Canada and Australia, and of 
an " All Red " cable to Aus- 
tralia. 

Oude Proclamation. 

A proclamation issued by 
Lord Canning after the fall of 
Lucknow in 1858, confiscating 
all proprietary rights to land in 
Oude, with the exception of the 
estates of seven unimportant 
proprietors. All others must 
throw themselves on the mercy 
of the British Government, and 
clemency would be extended 
to them, if they had not been 
concerned in the murder of 
Englishmen. This proclama- 
tion was considered by Lord 
EUenborough unduly severe, 
and a controversy arose which 
nearly led to Lord Canning's 
resignation. 

Our Lady of Mercy, Order of. 

A Spanish Order of Knight- 
hood, instituted in 1218 by 
James I of Aragon. Its special 
mission was to work for the 
deliverance of captives in the 
hands of the Moors. 

Outlawry. 

Among the Norsemen certain 
crimes, such as the violation of 
a temple, or secret or unpro- 
voked murder, could not be 
atoned for by " weregild," and 
were punished by confiscation 
of all property and loss of all 
rights, the criminal becoming 
an outlaw. A man was also 
outlawed if he or his family were 
unable to pay " weregild." 

Overton's Plot. 

An abortive conspiracy to 



i84 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



overthrow the Commonwealth 
and murder Cromwell, Lambert 
and other leading men, in 1655. 
It was headed by Major-General 
Overton, one of the most suc- 
cessful of the Parliamentary 
generals. 
Oxford Movement. 

A movement, designed to 
bring the Church of England 
nearer to the Church of Rome, 
which took its rise at Oxford in 
1 84 1. Its leaders were Keble, 
Pusey and Newman, and their 
views were in the first instance 
published to the world in a series 
of papers called " Tracts for the 
Times," whence it is also known 
as the Tractarian Movement. 
Its followers were generally 
called Puseyites by their oppo- 
nents. 
Oxford's Assault. 

The attempted assassination 
of Queen Victoria by Edward 
Oxford in 1840 is so called. He 
fired twice at the Queen, but 
missed. At his trial he was 
found to be insane, and was 
incarcerated in Bethlem Hos- 
pital, and afterwards in Broad- 
moor. 

Oyer and Terminer. 

A commission specially nomin- 
ated to hear and determine 
specific cases, especially of high 
treason, in England. This legal 
form was extended to Scotland 
in 1709, after the abortive trial 
of the Stirlingshire Jacobites 
under the ordinary Scotch pro- 
cedure in 1708. 



Pacific, War of the. 

The war between Chile on the 
one side and Peru and Bolivia on 
the other in 1879-83 is so called. 



Pacta Conventa. 

The agreement entered into 
between the nobles and candi- 
dates for the throne at the 
election of the Polish kings. 
The terms agreed upon at the 
election of Henry in 1573 inclu- 
ded the following : Henry under- 
took not to influence the diet 
in the choice of his successor, 
not to declare war, to marry or 
to divorce without their consent, 
not to impose taxes nor to 
appoint ambassadors. These 
terms were known as the Arti- 
cles of Henry, and similar 
disabilities were imposed upon 
subsequent kings of Poland. 

Pacta de Famine. 

See Malisset. 

Pahlen's Conspiracy. 

A conspiracy of Count Pahlen, 
Governor of St. Petersburg, in 
1 801, to dethrone Paul I. The 
Czarewitch gave his counten- 
ance to the plot, with the 
stipulation that no bodily harm 
should befall his father. Paul 
was nevertheless murdered by 
Pahlen and his accomplices. 

Paix de Monsieur. 

A treaty between Catherine 
de' Medici and the Huguenots 
in 1576, whereby the Huguenots 
were allowed the exercise of 
their religion in certain towns 
which they held. Certain ap- 
panages were granted to their 
leaders, Conde, Henry of Na- 
varre and others. 

Paix des Dames. 

The Peace of Cambray, so 
called because it was negotiated 
by Louise of Savoy, mother of 
Francis I, and Margaret, aunt 
of Charles V. 

Paix Fourree. 
The name of the Patched-up 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 185 



Peace is given to the Peace 
between Jean Sans Peur, Duke 
of Burgundy, and the Due 
d'Orleans, the leader of the 
Armagnacs in 1407. It was 
a device of Jean to gefthe Due 
d'Orleans into his power and 
three days afterwards Orleans 
was murdered by the Duke of 
Burgundy's agents. 

The same title is sometimes 
given to the Peace of Long- 
jumeau, between Charles IX 
and the Huguenots in 1586. 
Paladins. 

A select band of knights in 
the service of Charlemagne, 
the most famous of whom was 
Roland or Orlando. Most of 
them were killed at the Battle of 
Roncesvalles, where Charle- 
magne's troops were defeated 
by the Moors in 778. 

Palatinate Catechism. 

See Heidelberg Catechism. 
Palatines. 

In Poland the generals of the 
forces raised in the various 
palatinates, or provinces, were 
so called. 

Pale, The. 

The portion of Ireland sub- 
dued and settled by Henry II 
in 1 175, within which only the 
English law was in force. 

Palisades, Burgesses of the. 
See Pfahlbiirger. 

Pallium. 

The cloak or robe of office sent 
by the Pope to metropolitans 
and other high dignitaries of 
the Church, without which they 
could not enter upon the exer- 
cise of their functions. 
Palmetto State. 

A name given to the State of 
South Carolina, in allusion to 



the number of palmettos grow- 
ing within its borders. The 
palmetto is in the arms of the 
State. 
Pam. 

The nickname of Lord Pal- 
merston. 

Pan-American Congress. 

A congress of the various 
States of North, South and 
Central America, organized 
by James G. Blaine during the 
term of office of President 
Harrison, and held at Wash- 
ington in 1890. Among the 
subjects discussed were reci- 
procity treaties, and a uniform 
standard of coinage, weights 
and measures for the American 
Continent. No practical results, 
however, accrued. 

Pan- Germanism. 

A movement in Germany 
and the German provinces of 
Austria, to unite the latter to 
the German Empire. The Aus- 
trian Pan-Germans make no 
secret of their desire to break 
up the Austrian Empire with 
this end in view. 

Pan-Islamism. 

A secret movement fomented 
by certain fanatical Mohamme- 
dans, for the freedom of all 
Moslems from Christian domi- 
nation. It cannot be said to 
be in any way organized, but 
its emissaries are from time to 
time found at work in Moham- 
medan districts under Russian 
and British rule. 

Pan-Slavism. 

A Russian movement haning 
for its ideal the confederation 
of all the Slavonic nations 
under the hegemony of Russia. 
The Pan-Slavists are naturally 
strong advocates of a forward 



i86 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



policy in the political relations 
of Russia and Turkey. 

Panama Canal Treaty. 

A treaty between the United 
States and Colombia, signed in 
January, 1903, providing for 
the acquisition by the former 
Power of the canal rights of 
the new Panama Company. 
The United States secured a 
strip of territory, six miles wide, 
along the route of the canal, 
against a payment to Colombia 
of ;^2,ooo,ooo and an annual 
subsidy. This is granted on a 
lease for a hundred years, 
renewable at the option of the 
United States. An arrange- 
ment is made for joint police 
and judicial control, but the 
subjects of the United States 
can claim to be tried by their 
own courts. The port dues 
are ceded by Colombia to the 
United States. 

Panama Scandal. 

During the investigation, in 
1892, into the affairs of the 
Panama Canal Company, which 
had become bankrupt, it was 
discovered that large sums of 
money belonging to the share- 
holders were not properly ac- 
counted for. It appeared that 
in order to get the Panama 
Lottery Bill passed in 1888, 
the Baron de Reinach had 
distributed three millions of 
francs in bribes to deputies and 
senators, and that over one hun- 
dred had accepted bribes to 
vote for the bill. The directors 
of the company, including M. de 
Lesseps and his son, were tried 
and found guilty of malversation 
of the company's funds, and 
several deputies and senators, 
including eight ex-ministers, 
were prosecuted for receiving 



bribes. The Parisians called 
this affair " La Lessivei du 
Panama," or the Panama dirty 
linen. 

Panamino. 

The bank scandal in Italy in 
1893, in which several deputies 
were involved, was known as 
the Panamino,or Little Panama. 

Pandours. 

A corps of Hottentots and 
half-breeds, raised by the Dutch 
East India Company at the 
Cape in 1793. 

Panthay Rebellion. 

A rising of the Mohammedans 
of Yunnan against China, which 
broke out in 1855, under the 
leadership of Dow-Win-Sheou. 
The rising was successful, and 
the Viceroy of Yunnan finally 
signed a treaty by which Dow- 
Win-Sheou was given practi- 
cally uncontrolled sway over 
Western Yunnan. After his 
death the Peking Government 
at last determined to restore 
the Imperial rule and dis- 
patched a force for that purpose 
in 1867 which, after a long 
conflict, defeated and almost 
exterminated the Mohamme- 
dans. 

Papal Infallibility. 

This was made a dogma of 
the Roman Catholic Church by 
a decree of the Vatican Council 
in 1870. It is decreed that in 
all matters of faith and morals 
the Pope is infallible when he 
speaks ex cathedra, that is 
to say, officially as the vicegerent 
of God. 

Paper King. 

John Law of the Mississippi 
Scheme was so called from his 
issue of large amounts of paper 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 187 



money without an adequate 
reserve in specie. 

Pare aux Cerfs. 

The harem of Louis XV of 
France in the Park of Versailles. 

Paris Fund. 

A fund raised by subscriptions 
from America for the support 
of the Irish Home Rule agita- 
tion and of the evicted tenants. 
It was deposited in Paris, and 
was under the control of Par- 
nell. After his death in 1891, 
a serious quarrel followed be- 
tween the Parnellites and the 
anti-Parnellites as to the dis- 
posal of the fund. Eventually, 
in 1894, it was handed over to 
Mr. Justin McCarthy. 

Paris Matins. 

The name given to the mas- 
sacre of St. Bartholomew. 

Paris, Treaty of, 1763. 

A treaty between England, 
France and Spain, at the. close 
of the Seven Years War. 
England obtained the whole 
of the French possessions in 
America, except New Orleans 
and the territory west of the 
Mississippi, together with Flor- 
ida, ceded by Spain in return 
for Havana, which was restored 
to her. The French fishing 
-rights on the Newfoundland 
coast and in the Gulf of St. 
Lawrence were formally recog- 
nized. Guadeloupe and Mar- 
tinique were restored to France, 
who also obtained St. Lucia. 
England recovered Minorca, in 
exchange for which France 
ceded to Spain Louisiana west 
of the Mississippi. In India, 
France retained her factories, 
but agreed to withdraw her 
troops. 



Paris, Treaty of, 1814. 

A treaty between France and 
the Allied Powers, signed in 
1 8 14, after the entry of the 
Allies into Paris. By its pro- 
visions France was restricted 
to her frontier of 1790, with the 
exception of a slight increase 
of territory, including some 
strong places, towards the 
Rhine, and about half Savoy, 
towards the Alps. Mauritius 
was surrendered to England, 
who retained Malta and the 
Cape of Good Hope. The inde- 
pendence of the German and 
Swiss states, and of the Italian 
states outside the Austrian 
dominions was proclaimed. 
Holland, under the rule of 
the Prince of Orange, was to 
receive an accession of territory, 
which, by a secret article, was 
declared to be Belgium. Sar- 
dinia received Genoa, in com- 
pensation for the portion of 
Savoy ceded to France. These 
provisions formed the basis for 
discussion at the Congress which 
met immediately afterwards at 
Vienna to settle the affairs of 
Europe. 

Paris, Treaty of, 181 5. 

A treaty between France and 
the Allies, signed in 18 15, after 
the Waterloo Campaign. France 
lost the advanced frontier ac- 
corded her by the treaty of 
1 8 14, and was restricted abso- 
lutely to her frontier of 1790. 
She was further mulcted in a 
sum of seven hundred million 
francs, to be paid within five 
years, and pending payment 
an army of occupation was to 
hold certain fortresses. 

Paris, Treaty of, 1856. 

A treaty signed by England, 
France, Russia, Turkey, Prussia 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



and Sardinia, after the close of 
the Crimean War. It provided 
for the return of Kars to 
Turkey and of Sebastopol to 
Russia, The Powers agreed to 
respect the integrity of Turkey, 
while the Sultan undertook to 
issue a firman ameliorating the 
condition of his Christian sub- 
jects. The Black Sea was neu- 
tralized, and the Bosphorus 
and Dardanelles closed to ships 
of war in time of peace, while 
the navigation of the Danube 
was thrown open to all nations. 
The treaty also dealt with the 
laws of maritime war, and the 
following principles were ac- 
cepted by the signatories : (i) 
Privateering to be henceforth 
unlawful ; (2) The flag to cover 
the merchandise, except in the 
case of contraband of war ; 
(3) Neutral goods under an 
enemy's flag not to be liable 
to capture, unless contraband 
of war ; (4) Blockades not to be 
binding unless effective. In 
1870 Russia took advantage 
of the Franco-German War to 
repudiate the clause neutralizing 
the Black Sea. 

Paris, Treaty of, 1857. 

A treaty between Great Bri- 
tain and Persia, by which Persia 
renounced all her rights in 
Afghanistan, including Herat, 
and undertook to submit to 
the arbitration of Great Britain 
any questions that might arise 
between her and Afghanistan. 
By a clause in this treaty the 
slave trade in the Persian Gulf 
was made illegal. 

Parish School Act. 

An|[Act passed by the Irish 
Parliament in 1537, providing 
that no person should be ap- 
pointed to any benefice in 



Ireland who was not acquainted 
with the English language, and 
requiring every beneficed cler- 
gyman to establish and main- 
tain English schools in his 
parish, and to teach his parish- 
ioners the prayers of the Church 
in the English tongue. 

Parlement. 

The judicial body which suc- 
ceeded the Cours Plenidres, or 
Baronial Courts of the early 
French kings. It was organ- 
ized by Louis IX, and was at 
first without any fixed seat, 
though under Philip the Fair 
in 1302 it was established in 
Paris and became known as the 
Parlement de Paris. It was 
then composed of two prelates, 
two nobles, thirteen clerics and 
thirteen laymen. Its earliest 
records are dated 1254. Later, 
similar bodies, known also as 
Parlements, were established 
in the chief provincial centres. 

Parliament of 1265. 

To this Parliament of Henry 
III, in addition to the knights 
of the shires, who had been 
summoned intermittently since 
the reign of William the Con- 
queror, there were summoned, 
for the first time in English 
history, two burgesses from 
each of the principal citiesi 
The first regular Parliament, 
however, in which all the 
estates of the realm were duly 
represented is generally held 
to have been that of Edward I, 
which met in 1294. 

Parliaments. 

See Addled, Barebone's, Bats, 
Cavalier, Club, Convention, 
Devil's, Drunken, Dunces, Good, 
Grattan's, Long, Mad, Merci- 
less, Pensioned, Reformed, 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 189 



Rump, Short, Unlearned, Use- 
less, White Bands, Wonderful. 

Parliaments, Foreign. 

Althing, Bundesrath, Cham- 
bre. Congress, Cortes, Delega- 
tions, Folkething, Junta, Lan- 
desgemeinde, Landstag, Long 
Diet, Odalsthing, Potchef- 
stroom, Reichsrath, Reichstag, 
Rigsdag, Skuptschina, So- 
branje. States General, Stor- 
thing, Thing, United Diet, 
Volksraad. 

Parnell Commission. 

A commission appointed by 
Act of Parliament in 1888 to 
try the charges brought against 
Mr. Parnell by the Times in 
their articles " Parnellism and 
Crime." The gravamen of 
these charges was that Parnell 
and other Irish leaders were 
insincere in their condemnation 
of agrarian crime, and they were 
based on a series of letters 
sold to the Times by a cer- 
tain Pigott. In one of these 
letters Mr. Parnell wrote that 
Mr. Burke, who was murdered 
in Phoenix Park, had only got 
his deserts. Under cross-exam- 
ination Pigott broke down, and 
confessed that the letters were 
forgeries. The Commission 
cleared Parnell and the other 
Irish members of the graver 
charges, but considered their 
complicity in much of the 
lawlessness of the Land League 
clearly proved. 
Parnellites. 

The followers of Mr. Parnell 
in the House of Commons, es- 
pecially the small section of the 
party which remained faithful 
to him after his deposition from 
the leadership in 1 890, and which 
continued in opposition to the 
Anti-Parnellites after his death. 



under the leadership of Mr.- 

Redmond. 

Parsees. 

Descendants of the ancient 
Zoroastrians of Persia, who, 
rather than forsake their reli- 
gion, fled to India, on the 
conquest of Persia by the 
Caliph Omar in 651. They 
form a community of about 
85,000, with their headquarters 
in Bombay. 
Parsons' Emperor. 

See Pfaff en- Kaiser. 
Parthenopaean Republic. 

A short-lived republic, estab- 
lished in the kingdom of Naples 
in 1799, as the result of a 
popular rising. 
Partition Treaty, First. 

A treaty between Great Bri- 
tain, Holland and Spain, signed 
in 1698, with the object of 
dealing in anticipation with the 
claims of the rival pretenders 
to the Spanish succession. It 
was agreed that Spain, the 
Netherlands, and the Spanish 
Indies should pass to the 
Elector of Bavaria, the least 
powerful of the three claim- 
ants. France was to receive 
Guipuscoa and the two Sicilies, 
and Austria the Milanese. The 
terms of this treaty, though 
secret, leaked out, and Charles 
was persuaded to execute a 
will leaving the whole of his 
dominions to the Bavarian 
Prince. 
Partition Treaty, Second. 

The death of the Elector of 
Bavaria having rendered the 
First Partition Treaty of no 
effect, a second treaty was 
signed by the same three powers 
in 1700. By this instrument 
Spain, the Netherlands and the 
Indies were assigned to the 



I90 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Austrian Archduke, while 
France, in addition to the two 
Sicilies and Guipuscoa, was to 
receive the Milanese, to be 
exchanged eventually for Lor- 
raine, which was a German fief 
encroaching on the natural 
dominions of France. 
Pasquinades. 

A series of satires on the 
authorities issued in Rome to- 
wards the end of the fifteenth 
century by a witty tailor named 
Pasquino. The word is now 
applied generally to political 
lampoons. 
Passarowitz, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Venice and 
Turkey, signed in 171 8, by 
which the Morea, which had 
been secured to Venice by the 
treaty of Carlowitz in 1699, was 
restored to Turkey. 
Passau, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the Em- 
peror Charles V and the Protest- 
ant Princes of Germany, signed 
in 1552, after the surprise of 
Charles at Innspruck by Maur- 
ice of Saxony. The Protestants 
of Germany secured thereby the 
free exercise of their religion 
and freedom from Imperial 
interference. 
Passive Obedience. 

See Non-Resistance. 
Pastoureaux. 

A band of shepherds and 
peasants, led by a Hungarian, 
who styled himself the Master 
of Hungary, who rose in revolt 
in France in 1251. Their 
avowed objects were the reform 
of the abuses of the Church and 
the release of the Holy Land 
from Moslem rule. The out- 
break, directed in the first 
instance against priests and 
scholars, was accompanied by 



wild excesses, but was soon 
suppressed, the Master being 
killed in an attack on Bourges. 

Patrimonia Sancti Petri. 

The city of Rome and the 
surrounding district, handed 
over to Alexander III by the 
Emperor Frederick Barbarossa 
in 1 177 as St. Peter's Inherit- 
ance. 

Patriots. 

A section of Whig malcon- 
tents who, in 1733, under the 
leadership of Pulteney strongly 
opposed Walpole's Excise Bill. 
They were supported by the 
" Boys," the Young Whig party 
under William Pitt, and by the 
small remnant of the Tories 
under Bolingbroke. Walpole, 
however, was too strong for 
them, and, as a protest, the 
Patriots retired from Parliament 
in a body. 

Patrons of Husbandry. 

A secret society formed for 
the promotion of agricultural 
interests in the United States 
in 1870. Between that date 
and 1876, when the society 
reached its zenith, the number 
of their lodges or " granges " 
increased in number from 90 
to 19,000. The discussion of 
political questions was strictly 
forbidden at their meetings.' 
The members of the society are 
known as Grangers. 

Pavia, Edict of. 

An edict issued by the Em- 
peror Conrad II in 1037, by 
which all lesser fiefs throughout 
the Empire were made here- 
ditary, while the feudal dues 
payable to the greater Lords 
were reduced. This edict be- 
came the law of German feudal- 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



191 



Pazzi, Conspiracy of the. 

A conspiracy against the 
Medici in Florence in 1478, 
headed by the Pazzi family, and 
supported by Pope Sixtus IV. 
The plan was to assassinate the 
two brothers, Lorenzo and Giu- 
liano, in the cathedral, but the 
assassins failed to kill Lorenzo, 
whose prompt measures quickly 
put down the rising. 

Peacie of 1782. 

A treaty between Great Brit- 
ain and the United States 
which closed the American War 
of Independence. By its pro- 
visions Great Britain recognized 
the independence of the United 
States, and their right to the 
whole of the Northern Conti- 
nent of America except Canada 
and Newfoundland . This treaty 
was confirmed by the Treaty of 
Versailles of 1783, to which 
Spain and France were also 
parties. 

Peace Preservation Act. 

An Act passed in the Queens- 
land Parliament in 1894, to 
deal with the terrorism rife in 
the pastoral districts owing to 
the action of the Shearers' 
Union. 

Peace Society. 

A society founded in London 
in 1 8 16 to advocate the principle 
that war is inconsistent with 
Christianity and humanity. It 
is entirely unsectarian, though 
most of its earlier members 
were Quakers. 

Peasant War. 

A rising of the peasants of 
Suabia, Franconia, Alsace and 
Lorraine, in 1525, under the 
leadership of Gortz von Ber- 
lichingen. They issued a mani- 
festo demanding, among other 



concessions, the right to choose 
their own pastors, the payment 
of tithes in kind only, the pro- 
ceeds thereof to be devoted to 
ecclesiastical purposes, the abo- 
lition of serfdom, and free hunt- 
ing and fishing. In the later 
stages of the war they were led 
by the fanatic Miinzer, who 
proclaimed community of goods. 
After much bloodshed the rising 
was suppressed in the course of 
the year, Miinzer being killed 
in battle. 

Pecquigny, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Edward IV 
and Louis XI, by which the 
English King agreed to with- 
draw his troops from France, 
on the payment by Louis of the 
expenses of the war, a yearly 
pension, and 50,000 crowns as 
ransom for Margaret of Anjou. 
This treaty, signed in 1475, was 
secured by Louis mainly by 
large bribes administered to 
Edward's advisers. 

Pecsovics. 

The name given by the 
Magyars, after the war of 1848, 
to those Hungarians who were 
suspected of Austrian sym- 
pathies. 

Peelites. 

The followers of Sir Robert 
Peel in his departure from 
extreme Toryism, on the lines 
of the Tamworth Manifesto of 
1835. 

Peep-o'-Day Boys. 

Bands of Protestant pea- 
santry, formed in Ulster in 1782, 
who made it their business to 
eject Catholic tenants from 
their farms. 

Peers, Trial of. 

The establishment of the 



192 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



right of a peer to be tried by his 
peers in Parliament dates from 
the reign of Edward III, when 
Stratford, Archbishop of Can- 
terbury, refused to answer the 
charges brought against him 
before any other tribunal. He 
was supported by the Lords, 
and the King was at last com- 
pelled to yield. The privilege 
thus secured was embodied in a 
statute. 

Pelagic Sealing. 

The capture of seals in the 
open sea, and not on their breed- 
ing grounds. See Behring Sea. 

Pelican State. 

A name given to the State 
of Louisiana, from the pelican 
in its coat of arms. 

Pelucones. 

The reactionary party in 
Chile in 1828 were known as the 
Pelucones or Wigs. 

Peking, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in i860 by 
China, Great Britain and France, 
ratifying the provisions of the 
Treaty of Tientsin. China also 
made certain additional con- 
cessions, and paid an increased 
indemnity as compensation for 
the treatment accorded to the 
plenipotentiaries on their way 
to Peking to ratify the previous 
treaty. 

Pembroke, Settlement of. 

A settlement of Flemings at 
Haverfordwest and Tenby, 
under the Earl of Clare, in 1107. 

Penal Laws. 

A series of Acts passed at 
various times from the reign of 
William III to that of George II. 
and notably in the time of 
Queen Anne, imposing various 
most harassing disabilities on 



the Irish Catholics. The first 
relaxation of these Acts took 
place in 1778. 

Pendleton Bill. 

A bill to promote Civil Ser- 
vice reform, which was passed 
by the United States Senate in 
1882. Its principal provision 
was the throwing open of ap- 
pointments in the Civil Ser- 
vice to competitive examina- 
tion. 

Peninsular State. 

A name sometimes given to 
the State of Florida, U.S.A. 

Penny Post. 

This great reform was intro- 
duced in the Budget of 1839, 
and became operative on Jan- 
uary 10, 1840. Its introduc- 
tion is due to the perseverance 
of Sir Rowland Hill, who after 
many years of argument, at 
last succeeded in convincing 
the Postal authorities that the 
increase of correspondence 
would more than compensate 
for the loss occasioned by the 
lowering of the rates. 

Pensioned Parliament. 

The Parliament of 1661-79 
was so called from the large 
number of its members who 
were Cavaliers in receipt of 
Royal pensions. It was also 
called the Cavalier Parliament. 

Pentecote Vivante. 

This sobriquet was bestowed 
upon Cardinal Mezzofanti, who 
was said to speak fifty-eight 
languages. 

People's Charter. 

See Chartism. 

People's Party. 

See Populists. . 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 193 



Perdita. 

The name by which Mrs. 
Mary Robinson, the favourite 
of George IV, was generally 
known. 

Pere des Lettres. 

Francis I of France was called 
the Father of Letters. 

Permanent Settlement. 

The arrangement by which 
Lord Cornwalhs finally adopted 
the Zemindari System of land 
tenure in Bengal in 1793. {See 
Zemindar). 

Peronne, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Louis XI 
of France and Charles the Bold 
of Burgundy, in 1468, by which 
Louis, who had been treacher- 
ously imprisoned by Charles, 
obtained his release in return 
for certain important conces- 
sions. 

Perpetual Edict. 

A document issued at Brus- 
sels by Philip II in 1577, con- 
firming the Pacification of 
Ghent. Philip agreed to the 
withdrawal of the Spanish Army, 
exchange of all prisoners, con- 
firmation of the Charters and 
Constitutions of the Nether- 
lands, and the maintenance of 
the two religions. 

Perpetual League. 

A league entered into in 1291 
by the three Forest Cantons 
of Switzerland, Uri, Schwyz and 
Unterwalden, for mutual assist- 
ance against aggression. This 
league, which is also known as 
the League of Brunnen, is the 
germ of the Swiss Confedera- 
tion. A second Perpetual 
League was formed in 1332, 
when Lucerne was admitted 
into the Federation. 



Perpetual Peace. 

A treaty of peace entered 
into between Austria and the 
Federated Swiss Cantons in 
1474, by which Austria re- 
nounced her claim to all the 
territory won back from her by 
the Swiss, in return for which' 
they promised their aid in the 
war with Burgundy. 

Perpetual Peace. 

A treaty between England 
and Scotland in 1502, whereby 
Margaret, daughter of Henry 
VII, was betrothed to James 
IV. 

Perth, Convocation of. 

An assembly summoned by 
Edward I in 1305, after the 
annexation of Scotland, to elect 
members to represent Scotland 
in the English Parliament of 
that year. 

Peshwa. 

The minister of the Mahratta 
princes of India. The Peshwas, 
who were seven in succession, 
may be said to have formed a 
Mahratta dynasty, as, though 
nominally ministers, they were 
actually rulers of the Mahratta 
States. Their power came to 
an end with the treaty of 
Bassein in 1802. 

Peterloo. 

See Manchester Massacre. 

Peter's Pence. 

A tribute to the Pope which 
seems to have originated in an 
undertakngby ^thelwulf (836- 
857) to find funds for the sup- 
port of a Saxon College at Rome. 
This tribute was later exacted 
by the Popes as a right, and was 
so paid by William the Con- 
queror and later kings. 

o 



194 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Petit Caporal. 

Napoleon's nickname among 
his soldiers, given to him after 
the battle of Lodi. 

Petition and Advice. 

An enactment passed by- 
Parliament in 1657, and ac- 
cepted by Cromwell, amending 
the Constitution. Among other 
provisions it restored the second 
chamber, which had been abol- 
ished by the Long Parliament, 
and placed the army under 
Parliament and the head of the 
executive jointly. It also pro- 
vided that Cromwell should 
take the title of King, a pro- 
vision which he refused to 
accept. 

Petition of Grievances. 

A petition presented by Par- 
liament to James I in 16 10, 
complaining of the Impositions, 
of the Courts of High Commis- 
sion and of Wales, and of the 
free use of Royal Proclamations 
having the force of Statutes. 

Petition of Right. 

A petition presented to 
Charles I by his third Parlia- 
ment in 1628. It comprised 
four demands: (i) That no 
taxes should be levied without 
the consent of Parliament. (2) 
That no subject of the realm 
should be imprisoned unless due 
cause were shown. (3) That 
the forces of the Crown should 
not be billeted on the people. 
(4) That no commission should 
issue in time of peace to try a 
subject by martial law. The 
King gave a qualified accept- 
ance to the petition, but never 
adhered to its conditions. 

Petitioners. 

The signatories to petitions to 
Charles II in 1679, urging him 



to call Parliament together, he 
having prorogued the new 
Parliament for a year before it 
had commenced to discuss busi- 
ness. The loyalist party, who 
forwarded an address to the 
King expressing their abhor- 
rence of the petitions, were 
called Abhorrers. 

Petroleuses. 

A band of women who, in 
the last hours of the Paris Com- 
mune, spread over Paris with 
petroleum, setting fire to public 
buildings. When caught by 
the Government troops, they 
were promptly shot. 

Pfaffenbrief. 

The Priests' Charter, an 
ordinance issued in 1370 by the 
Federal States of Switzerland, 
declaring ecclesiastics to be 
subject to the authority of the 
State, and to have no special 
privileges. 

Pfaff en- Kaiser. 

Charles IV, the Emperor set 
up by the Guelf Party in 1346 
in opposition to Lewis IV, was 
called the Parsons' Emperor. 

Pfahl-biirger. 

Burgesses of the Palisades, 
refugees from the tyranny of 
the feudal barons, who estab- 
lished themselves outside the 
walls but within the liberties 
of the free cities. These liberties 
were usually defined by a line 
of palisades, from which the 
name is derived. 

Philike Hetairia. 

A Greek secret society es- 
tablished in 1 8 14 for the f pur- 
pose of fomenting a rising 
against Turkish rule. 

Phoenix Park Murders. 

The murder in the Phoenix 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 195 



Park, Dublin, on May 6, 1882, 
by the Invincibles, an Irish, 
secret society, of Lord Frederick 
Cavendish, the Chief Secretary, 
and Mr. Burke, the Under 
Secretary. The assassins es- 
caped, but were afterwards 
brought to justice through the 
disclosures of an informer 
named Carey. 
Piagnoni. 

The Weepers, the followers 
of Savonarola, who was the 
guiding spirit of the Florentine 
Republic established during the 
temporary eclipse of the power 
of the Medici in 1493. 

Pichegru's Conspiracy. 

A conspiracy to overthrow 
the Consulate and bring back 
the Bourbons, planned by 
Georges Cadoudal, the Breton 
leader, and General Pichegru 
in 1804. The Comte d'Artois 
was privy to it, and the English 
Ministers at the Courts of 
Bavaria and Wurtemberg were 
also supposed to have had 
knowledge of it. Certain infor- 
mation reaching the police, the 
conspirators and many who 
were entirely innocent were 
arrested. Among other innocent 
victims was the young Due 
d'Enghien, son of the Prince de 
Conde, who was shot by order of 
Napoleon. It is of this action 
that Fouche said, "It is worse 
than a crime, it is a blunder." 

Pies Poudrees, Court of. 

A special court established 
during the great fairs in Scot- 
land and England to try trivial 
offences, such as disturbances 
of the peace, committed within 
the fair limits. It derives its 
name from the " dusty feet " 
of the pedlars, who were the 
principal vendors at these 



gatherings. In England it was 
called the Court of Pie Powder. 

Pilgrim Fathers. 

The Puritan emigrants who 
left England in the Mayflower, 
and were the first colonists of 
New England in 1620. 

Pilgrimage of Grace. 

The Catholic rising in the 
North of England in the reign 
of Henry VIII (iS37). 

Pilnitz, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in August, 
1 79 1, by the King of Prussia 
and the Emperor, by which the 
former agreed to support the 
allies in their efforts to suppress 
the French Revolution. The 
two monarchs subsequently 
issued a manifesto, known as 
the Declaration of Pilnitz, de- 
claring that the position of the 
King of France was a matter of 
interest to all sovereigns, and 
that if the European rulers 
united to aid Louis, they would 
combine with them for the 
purpose. The price of Prussia's 
co-operation in this movement 
was a secret undertaking on the 
part of Austria not to interfere 
with her proceedings in Poland. 

Pilsen, League of. 

A confederation of Hussites 
in 1422, sworn to resist Sigis- 
mund, and to oppose any 
sovereign who would not per- 
mit communion in both kinds. 

Pindaris. 

A body of freebooters, or 
soldiers of fortune, in India, 
originally formed as a body of 
irregular horse, with licence to 
plunder, by the last Moham- 
medan dynasty of the Deccan. 
At the beginning of the nine- 



196 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



teentli century they were in 
the service of the Mahratta 
Confederacy, and after the 
breaking up of this they con- 
tinued to give great trouble to 
the British by their predatory 
raids. They were finally dis- 
persed, and ceased to exist as 
an organized force in 1818. 

Pine Tree State. 

The state of Maine is so 
called, from the wide extent of 
its pine forests. 

Pisa, Council of. 

A Council, summoned during 
the schism in 1409, which de- 
posed Gregory XII and Bene- 
dict XIII, and elected Alex- 
ander V as Pope. The two first 
named declined to recognize 
the authority of the Council, 
with the result that there were 
now three Popes. 

Pitaux, Insurrection of the. 

A peasant rising in Sain- 
tonge and Poitou in 1548, to 
obtain redress of grievances in 
connection with the Gabelle, or 
salt-tax. The insurgents held 
Bordeaux for some time, but 
were eventually overpowered, 
and their leaders executed. 
The rising, however, led to a 
reduction in the Gabelle. 

Pitt's India Bill. 

See East India Company. 

Place Bill. 

A Bill which, after several 
failures, became law in 1743, in 
spite of the strong opposition 
of the King, rendering pen- 
sioners of the Crown and holders 
of offices about the Court in- 
eligible for seats in the House 
of Commons. ' 

Plague of London. 

The pestilence which broke 



out in London in 1665, and was 
not completely stamped out 
until the Great Fire of the follow- 
ing year. It carried off nearly 
100,000 persons out of a total 
population of half a million. 

Plain. 

The name given to the 
Girondins in the French Con- 
vention, because they occupied 
the lower tiers of seats in the 
Assembly. The Jacobins, who 
sat on the upper benches, were 
known as the Mountain. 

Plan of Campaign. 

A combination of tenants to 
refuse their rents on those 
Irish estates where the reduc- 
tions demanded were not con- 
ceded. The tenants bound 
themselves to act together, and 
to make no separate arrange- 
ments with the landlord. If 
the reduction was refused, they 
then paid their rent into a 
common fund, to be used for the 
support of those who were evict- 
ed. The Plan was put into opera- 
tion on forty estates. In April, 
1888, it was pronounced un- 
lawful by the Vatican. 

Platine States. 

The name given to the 
South American Republics bor- 
dering on the River Plate, 
namely, Argentina, Uruguay 
and Paraguay. 

Plebiscite. 

The submission of a question 
to the direct national vote, in- 
stead of to a vote of the elected 
representatives. It was adopted 
by Napoleon III after the 
Coup d'Etat of 1 85 1, when he 
referred to the people the- 
question of his assumption of 
the Imperial dignity. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 197 



Plimsoll's Act. 

The Merchant Shipping Act 
of 1876, passed owing to the 
efforts of Mr. PHmsoll on behalf 
of merchant seamen. It contains 
provisions preventing unsea- 
worthy ships from leaving 
English ports, and regulates the 
load line and deck cargoes. 
The mark indicating the water- 
line of a fully loaded ship is 
kno^vn as the PlimsoU Mark. 

Plon-Plon. 

The nickname of Prince 
Napoleon, son of Jerome Bona- 
parte. It was given him during 
the Crimean war, and is a 
euphemism for Craint-Plomb 
(Fear Bullet). 

Pochi Danari. 

The Penniless, a nickname 
given by the Italians to the 
Emperor Maximilian I ^1493- 
1519)- 

Podesta. 

The chief magistrate in the 
Italian cities during the thir- 
teenth century. He was elected 
annually by the citizens. In 
some cases his functions were 
purely judicial ; in other cities 
he also exercised certain execu- 
tive functions, including the 
control of the military forces. 

Poire, La. 

The nickname of Louis 
Philippe of France, whose face 
was usually portrayed by the 
caricaturists of the day in the 
shape of a pear. 

Poland, First Partition of. 

An arrangement arrived at 
in 1772 by Frederick of Prussia, 
Catherine of Russia, and Maria 
Theresa of Austria, by which 
Prussia obtained the whole of 
Polish Prussia, except Dantzig 



and Thorn ; Austria annexed 
Galicia and Lodomiria; and 
Russia acquired aU the territory 
between the Dwina, the 
Dnieper and the Drutsch. 

Poland, Second Partition of. 

At the close of the Polish 
Civil War in 1793, Prussia and 
Russia invaded Poland, and as 
a consequence added to their 
dominions — Russia 8 5 ,000 square 
miles of territory, and Prussia 
21,000, together with the towns 
of Dantzig and Thorn. 

Poland, Third Partition of. 

The small remnant of the 
Kingdom of Poland was di- 
vided between Prussia, Austria 
and Russia after Kosciusko's 
abortive rising in 1795. 

Policy, Council of. 

The local Council established 
at Cape Town in 1652 to govern 
the Colony under the General 
Council of the Dutch East 
India Company. It consisted 
at first of four members, but 
was enlarged to eight in 1685. 

Polish Note. 

A joint note presented to 
Russia by Great Britain, France 
and Austria in 1863, after the 
suppression of the Polish in- 
surrection of that year. It 
contained suggestions for an 
amnesty, national self-govern- 
ment, liberty of conscience, and 
other liberal measures, but as 
there was obviously no inten- 
tion of backing it by force, 
Russia treated it with complete 
indifference. 

Polish Succession, War of the. 
The war which broke out on 
the death of Augustus II in 
1733. Stanislas Leszczynski 
was supported for the throne 



198 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



by France, Spain and Sardinia, 
Augustus III by Russia and 
Austria. The war was ended by 
the Treaty of Vienna in 1738, 
Augustus obtaining the crown. 

Political Assessments Act. 

An Act of the United States 
Congress, passed in 1876, which 
forbids the sohciting or receiv- 
ing of assessments for pohtical 
purposes from any person hold- 
ing an of&cial position under 
the Government. 

Politiques. 

A party which came into 
existence in France after the 
massacre of St. Bartholomew 
in 1572, under the leadership 
of the Montmorency family. 
It was composed of Catholics 
who had no sympathy with the 
Huguenot persecutions and de- 
sired to extend toleration to 
their heretic fellow-country- 
men. 

Poll Tax. 

A tax, graduated from £1 
to 15. a head, on every man or 
woman in England, imposed in 
1380. It caused great discon- 
tent, which culminated in the 
rising of Wat Tyler and Jack 
Cade in 1381. 

Pontage. 

A tax imposed on all freemen 
in feudal times, for the repair 
and maintenance of bridges. 

Poonah, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the British 
and the Peshwa signed in 
1 8 17, whereby the Peshwa 
recognized the dissolution of 
the Mahratta Confederacy, and 
renounced all his claims on 
Sindhia, Holkar, the Gaekwar 
and the Rajah of Berar. He 
undertook to hold no com- 



munication with foreign princes, 
and to provide for the main- 
tenance of a force of 5,000 
horse and 3,000 foot. He also 
relinquished all territorial rights 
north of the Nerbudda, and 
undertook not to interfere in 
Indian affairs. 

Poor Law Acts. 

The first Act dealing with 
this question was passed in the 
reign of Elizabeth in 1572, and 
was followed by other enact- 
ments which were consolidated 
in the Act of 1601. By this Act 
rogues and vagabonds were 
severely dealt with, but work- 
houses were provided for the 
relief of the deserving poor, and 
parish officers, known as Over- 
seers, appointed to superintend 
the working of the Act. This 
Act of Elizabeth continued in 
force till the Poor Law Act of 
1832. By that time numerous 
abuses had crept into the ad- 
ministration of the Poor Law, 
resulting in the complete pau- 
perisation of many parishes, 
owing largely to the stringency 
of the regulations against vaga- 
bondage having been relaxed. 
By the new Act, the separation 
between the two classes was 
rendered definite, relief was 
only to be granted to the able- 
bodied in return for labour, 
and children were separated 
from adult paupers. The 
machinery was in the main left 
unchanged, but small parishes 
were formed into Unions, and 
a central Board of Control was 
established. 

Pope, Election of. 

The present system of elec- 
tion to the Papal chair was es- 
tablished by Nicholas II at 
the Synod of Rome in 1059, 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 199 



and amended by Gregory X 
at the Council of Lyons in 1275. 

Pope of Geneva. 

A nickname of Calvin. 

Popish Plot. 

A pretended plot in the 
reign of Charles II, having for 
its object the assassination 
of the King and the forcible 
establishment of the Roman 
Catholic religion. The arch- 
informer, Titus Gates, was a 
renegade English clergyman, 
who had been admitted into 
the Jesuit order. It is possible 
that there may have been some 
such scheme on foot, but the 
so-called revelations of Gates 
and his fellow-informers were 
nothing but a tissue of absurdi- 
ties. Unfortunately, the murder 
by some person unknown of 
Sir Edmundbury Godfrey, be- 
fore whom Gates made his first 
deposition, so inflamed the 
popular mind that no justice 
could be expected, and five 
Catholic peers denounced by 
Gates were sent to the Tower, 
while many innocent priests 
and others were condemned and 
executed. 

Popular Sovereignty. 

The political doctrine in the 
United States that the question 
of negro slavery was one for 
each Territory or State to de- 
cide for itself. It was perhaps 
better known as Squatter 
Sovereignty. 

Populists, 

A party formed at Cincin- 
nati in 1 89 1, under the style 
of the People's Party of the 
United States. Their " plat- 
form," drawn up by Ignatius 
Donnelly, consists of the follow- 
ing " planks " among others : 



Abolition of National Banks, 
Free Coinage of Silver, Laws 
against Alien Landowners, 
Graduated Income-tax, and 
National Control of Railways, 

Porcari, Conspiracy of. 

An attempt, under the 
leadership of Stefano Porcari 
in 1453, to restore republican 
institutions in Rome. It was 
the final struggle of the Romans 
against the temporal domina- 
tion of the Popes. 

Port Philip Association. 

An association of Pioneers 
under John Pascoe Fawkner 
and John Batman, who were 
the first colonists to settle on 
the shores of Port Phillip Bay, 
and therefore the founders of 
Melbourne, in 1835. 

Porteous Riots. 

An outbreak in Edinburgh in 
1736, when the mob broke into 
the Tolbooth and hanged an 
officer named Porteous, who 
had been sentenced to death 
for firing on the crowd at an 
execution where he was in 
command of the guard, and 
afterwards reprieved. After 
executing their vengeance, the 
mob dispersed, and none of 
the rioters were ever detected. 

Portroyal. 

A religious and literary com- 
munity established in Paris 
circ. 1594 by the Arnault 
family, the leaders of the 
Jansenists. Pascal was one of 
its most famous members. 

Portugal, Independence of. 

In 1640 the weakness of 
Spain under Charles IV induced 
the Portuguese nobles, headed 
by the Archbishop of Lisbon, 
to throw off their allegiance to 



200 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



the Spanish. Crown, and pro- 
claim their legitimate sover- 
eign, the Duke of Braganza, 
King of Portugal by the title 
of John IV. The Spaniards ac- 
cepted the situation, without 
any effort to maintain their 
authority. 

Portuguese Mars. 

Alfonso d' Albuquerque (1453- 
1515), the famous Indian Vice- 
roy, was so called. 

Postal Convention, Interna- 
tional. 
A convention of the prin- 
cipal States of Europe and 
America, held at Berne in 
1874, at which a uniform rate 
of postage between the various 
States was agreed upon. 

Post-nati. 

The name given to James I's 
Scottish subjects who were 
born after his accession to the 
English throne. The question 
arose as to whether they were 
aliens in England, and a legal 
decision was given to the effect 
that they were not aliens. 

Potato Famine. 

The failure of the potato crop 
in Ireland in 1847 is so called. 
It caused terrible distress, not- 
withstanding all the efforts 
made to relieve the sufferers, 
and thousands in consequence 
emigrated to America. Its 
effects on population, land 
tenure and other Irish questions 
have been very far-reaching. 

Potchefstroom, Volksraad of. 

The first Volksraad north of 
the Vaal River, established in 
1840. 

Poyning's Act. 

An Act introduced by Sir 
Edward Poyning, and passed 



in 1495, which declared that no 
Irish Parliament should be con- 
voked until its programhie of 
legislation had been sanctioned 
by the English Privy Council, 
and attested by the Great Seal. 
It was afterwards a source of 
endless complications between 
the Irish and English Govern- 
ments, as it limited the abso- 
lute power of the Lord Lieu- 
tenant, and rendered impossible 
any policy of the English 
colony in Ireland to which the 
Mother Country was opposed. 
This Act was temporarily re- 
pealed in 1689, re-enacted in 
1 69 1, and finally rescinded in 
1782. 

Praemunire, Statute of. 

A statute passed in 1392, 
finally confirming the Statute of 
Provisors of the previous reign, 
and declaring the realm of 
England to be free of all earthly 
subjection. The procuring of 
any Bull or other Papal instru- 
ment was made punishable by 
outlawry and forfeiture. 

Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges. 
A proclamation of Charles VII 
of France in 1438, declaring 
that the authority of a General 
Council was superior to that of 
the Pope. It further followed 
the terms of the Concordat of 
Aschaffenburg, proclaiming that 
annates were abolished, and that 
the election of the Bishops was 
to be free of Papal control. 

Pragmatic Sanction of Charles 
VI. 

The fundamental law issued 
in 1724, settling the succession 
to the Austrian throne on 
Maria Theresa and her descend- 
ants. This, the most famous of 
the various Pragmatic Sane- 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 201 



tions, was the cause of the War 
of the Austrian Succession, and 
was not finally accepted by the 
European Powers till the Peace 
of Aix La Chapelle in 1748. 

Pragmatic Sanction of Frank- 
fort. 
A manifesto issued in 1338 
by the Electors of the German 
Empire, in reply to the anathe- 
mas of Boniface XII, main- 
taining the Emperor's inde- 
pendence of Papal control. 

Pragmatic Sanction of Louis IX. 
A decree issued in 1269, 
against the privileges of the 
clergy and the Papal usurpa- 
tions. It forbade the sale of 
benefices and the levy of any 
tax by the Pope. 

Pragmatic Sanction of Mentz. 

The decree issued in 1439 by 
Albert II, the first Hapsburg 
Emperor, settling the throne of 
Germany upon the royal house 
of Austria. 

Pragmatic Sanction of 1759. 

The instrument by which 
Charles III of Spain settled the 
succession to the throne of 
Naples upon his third son and 
his descendants. 

Pragmatic Sanction of 1830. 

The decree issued by Ferdi- 
nand VII of Spain, abolishing 
the Salic Law, in order to secure 
the crown for his daughter 
Isabella. This document is 
chiefly responsible for the 
Carlist wars. 

Prague, Congress of. 

A Congress of Panslavists 
held at Prague in 1848. It was 
the occasion of an outbreak on 
the part of the Czechs, and led 
to the bombardment of the 
city by Windischgratz. 



Prague, Peace of. 

A treaty signed in 1635, to 
which all the sovereign States 
of Germany were parties. Cer- 
tain concessions were made to 
the Protestants, the hereditary 
right of Austria to Bohemia 
was recognized, Pomerania was 
given to the Elector of Branden- 
burg, and Lusatia to the Elector 
of Saxony. The latter, in re- 
turn, agreed to aid Austria in 
expelling the Swedes from 
Germany, thus scandalously 
deserting his northern ally. 

Prague, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed by Prussia, 
Austria and Italy, after the de- 
feat of Austria at Sadowa in 
1866. Prussia annexed Han- 
over, Schleswig-Holstein, Hesse- 
Cassel and Nassau. Austria 
renounced all right of inter- 
ference in the North German 
States, as President of the 
Diet, and further ceded the 
Venetian provinces to Italy. 

Praguerie. 

A revolt of the Dukes of 
Bourbon and Alencon and 
other great nobles against 
Charles VII in 1439, owing to 
the imposition, by the Ordon- 
nance of Orleans, of a tax on 
their lands for military pur- 
poses. They were joined by 
the Dauphin Louis, but were 
defeated by Charles in 1440, 
when the war came to an end. 
It broke out again, but was 
finally suppressed in 1441. 

Prairie State. 

The State of Illinois, U.S.A., 
is so called from the vast ex- 
panse of level prairie it contains. 

Precariae. 

Grants of Church lands to 
laymen during the Middle Ages, 



202 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



often extorted by force. They 
were generally for the life of 
the grantee, but were some- 
times renewed to his successor. 

Predial Servitude. 

The condition of villeinage 
under the feudal system. See 
Villeins. 

Preobajensky. 

A secret political police, es- 
tablished by Peter the Great of 
Russia. It was somewhat simi- 
lar in constitution to the 
modern " Third Section." It 
was abolished by Peter III in 
1762. 

Presburg, Confederation of. 

A confederation of the Aus- 
trian, Bohemian and Hun- 
garian States against the Em- 
peror Rudolph II, formed by 
his brother Matthias in 1608. 
He succeeded in wresting these 
possessions from Rudolph. 

Presburg, Treaty of. 

A treaty between France and 
Austria, signed in December, 
1805, a few days later than the 
Treaty of Schonbrunn. Aus- 
tria, left at Napoleon's mercy 
by the defection of Prussia, was 
forced to accept what was 
practically a measure of spolia- 
tion. She surrendered Venice 
and the Adriatic provinces to 
Italy, and portions of her 
dominions to Bavaria, Wiirtem- 
berg and Baden, while she 
recognized the erection of 
Bavaria and Wiirtemberg into 
kingdoms, and agreed to abstain 
from interference in the affairs 
of Naples. 

Pretoria Convention. 

A convention signed in 1881, 
after the Majuba disaster, be- 
tween Great Britain and the 



Transvaal. The Transvaal was 
granted complete internal in- 
dependence, under British 
suzerainty. Great Britain to 
have control of the foreign 
policy of the Transvaal, and to 
be represented by a Resident 
at Pretoria. 

Pretoria, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Portugal 
and the Transvaal, signed in 
1869, providing for the delimit- 
ation of the frontier between 
their respective territories. 

Pride's Purge. 

The name given to the 
forcible removal from the House 
by Colonel Pride and his 
troopers of over a hundred 
members of the majority of the 
Long Parliament. The ejected 
members were imprisoned, and 
the remnant, known as the 
Rump, fell completely under 
the domination of the army. 

Priests' Charter. 

See Pfaffenbrief. 

Prince Florizel. 

A nickname of George IV, 
derived from the name he 
assumed in his correspondence 
with Mrs. Mary Robinson (Per- 
dita). 

Prince of Alchemy. 

A sobriquet of Rudolph II, 
Emperor of Germany. 

Princes Expulsion Bill. 

A Bill passed by the French 
Chambers in 1886, expelling 
from French territory all 
claimants to the throne and 
their immediate heirs. As a 
consequence. Prince Napoleon 
and the Comte de Paris and his 
family left France. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 203 



Princess Party. 

The party headed by the 
ChurchiUs, who supported the 
Princess Anne during the reign 
of William III. 
Principe de la Paz. 

The Prince of the Peace, the 
title of Godoy, the minister of 
Charles IV of Spain, in the last 
decade of the eighteenth cen- 
tury. 
Prisoner of Chillon. 

Francois de Bonnivard, a 
Frenchman who offended 
Charles III of Savoy, and was 
imprisoned by him for six years 
in the Castle of Chillon on the 
Lake of Geneva. 

Prisoner of the Vatican. 

Pope Pius IX was so called 
by his adherents after Rome 
became the seat of the Italian 
Government in 1870. 

Privas, Massacre of. 

A massacre of Huguenots at 
the taking of Privas by Louis 
XIII in 1629. 
Privilege of the Clan Macduff. 

In ancient times any person 
within the ninth degree of kin- 
ship with the Chief of the Mac- 
duffs who had been guilty of 
unpremeditated homicide could, 
if he reached in safety Mac- 
duff's Cross in Fife, escape the 
death penalty, and go free on 
payment of a fine. This privi- 
lege is said to have been granted 
by Malcolm Canmore (1057- 
93.) 
Professio Fidei. 

A profession of the Catholic 
Faith, issued by the Council of 
Trent in 1545, as a counter- 
blast to the Protestant Con- 
fession of Augsburg. Its ac- 
ceptance was made obligatory 
on every aspirant to a degree 



throughout the German Uni- 
versities. 

Promissory Oaths Act. 

An Act passed in 1868, con- 
solidating and amending the 
various Acts dealing with the 
oath of allegiance and abjura- 
tion. It provides a Parlia- 
mentary, an official and a 
judicial oath, of a nature that 
can be taken by Roman 
Catholics and Jews, ending 
with the formula " So help me, 
God." The wording of the 
Parliamentary oath came into 
special prominence in 1880-5, in 
the course of Mr. Bradlaugh's 
attempts to take his seat in the 
House of Commons. 

Pronunciamiento. 

In Spain and Spanish 
America a proclamation issued 
by a military leader, backed 
by his troops, against the exist- 
ing Government. 

Propaganda, College of the. 

The Congregatio de Propa- 
ganda Fide is a council of 
ecclesiastics, founded by 

Gregory XV in 1622, to super- 
intend the diffusion of the 
Catholic Faith in distant lands. 
The Council has at present 
control of all foreign missions 
and of a college at Rome for 
the training of missionaries. 

Protestant Duke. 

James, Duke of Monmouth, 
the natural son of Charles II, 
who, though brought up as a 
Catholic, afterwards adopted 
the Protestant faith, was so 
called by his supporters. 

Protestant Hero. 

The name given by the Eng- 
lish people to Frederick -the 
Great of Prussia. 



204 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Protestant League. 

A league of the Protestant 
Princes of Germany, formed in 
165 1, to maintain their terri- 
torial rights and uphold the 
Peace of Westphalia, 

Protestant Union. 

A league of Protestants 
formed at a Congress held at 
Ahausen, in Anspach, in 1608, 
in consequence of the course 
pursued by the Emperor and 
the Catholic Princes in the 
Troubles of Donauworth. Its 
object was mutual defence, and 
its leading members were the 
Elector Palatine, Christian of 
Anhalt, and John Frederick 
of Wiirtemberg, It was after- 
wards joined by fifteen Im- 
perial cities. 

Provisions of Oxford. 

A decree issued in 1258 by 
the Council of State. It pro- 
vided for the placing of the 
royal castles in the hands of 
English Governors, and for the 
summoning of Parliament three 
times a year. This document is 
noteworthy as being the first 
public document issued in the 
English language. 

Provisors, Statute of. 

A statute passed in the 
thirty-eighth year of Edward 
III (1365), and directed against 
the claim of the Pope to ap- 
point to benefices in England. 
It confirmed a previous statute 
which enacted that the King 
and the Lords were to appoint 
to benefices of their own or 
their ancestors' creation, and 
not the Pope of Rome, and 
further made the introduction 
of Papal Bulls and Briefs into 
the realm illegal. 



Prudhommes. 

Notable citizens elected, in 
the French towns in the 
twelfth century, to act as an 
advisory board to the provost 
or representative of the King. 

Pruth, Peace of the. 

A treaty between Russia and 
Turkey, signed in 171 1, after 
the relief of Peter the Great, 
who had been besieged in Hush. 
It provided for the cession to 
Turkey of Azov, and the re- 
tirement of Charles XII to 
Sweden unmolested. It is also 
called the Treaty of Falczi. 

Pucelle, La. 

A sobriquet of Joan of Arc. 

Punishment Act. 

An Act passed by the British 
Parliament in 1836, at the in- 
stance of Lord Glenelg, which, 
after setting forth in the pre- 
amble that the Cape Colony 
was inhabited by " uncivilized 
persons," proceeded to give the 
of&cers of the Crown power to 
arrest and bring to trial in 
Cape Town all British subjects 
dwelling south of the twenty- 
fifth parallel of latitude. It 
caused intense irritation in 
South Africa, especially in 
Natal, which was claiming to 
be erected into a separate 
British Colony, and refused to 
recognize the right of the Cape 
Government to enforce the 
law while affording them no 
protection against Kaffir and 
other enemies. 

Punjaub, Annexation of. 

Following on the victory of 
Gujerat, which closed the 
second Sikh war, the Punjaub 
was annexed in 1851, an ar- 
rangement being made to pay 
a life annuity of ;^ 5 0,000 to 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 205 



the Maharajah, Dhuleep Singh. 
Among the treasures which 
were surrendered to the British 
was the Koh-i-Noor. 

Purandhar, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the British 
and the Mahrattas, signed in 
1776, by which the Treaty of 
Surat was annulled, Salsette 
being surrendered and Raghoba's 
cause abandoned. This was 
due to the action of the Council 
of Bengal, which declared that 
the Treaty of Surat was unjust 
and inexpedient, and that the 
Bombay Council had acted 
ultra vires in agreeing to it. 

Purveyance. 

The right claimed by the 
followers of the early Norman 
Kings who attended their lord 
during his progresses, to exact 
from the inhabitants such 
supplies as they might think 
fit, without payment. The 
abuses which grew out of this 
system were to some extent 
alleviated by Henry I, and the 
right was afterwards restricted 
by Magna Charta, and by the 
Statute of Stamford. 

Puseyites. 

The followers of Dr. Pusey, 
one of the leaders of the Oxford 
Movement in 1841. 

Pyrenees, Treaty of the. 

A treaty between France and 
Spain, signed in 1659, after the 
defeat of the Spaniards by 
Turenne at Dunes. France 
acquired Artois and Roussil- 
lon, and surrendered in return 
all the territory she held be- 
yond the Pyrenees. The 
duchy of Lorraine was restored 
to the Duke, but France re- 
served the right of marching 



her troops through his country 
on their way to or from Alsace. 



Quadrilateral. 

The name given to four for- 
tresses in Northern Italy, 
Peschiera, Mantua, Legnago and 
Verona. 

Quadrilateral, Bulgarian. 

The four fortresses of Varna, 
Silistria, Rustchuk and Schum- 
la are known by this name. 

Quadrilateral Treaty. 

A treaty signed in 1840, by 
Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, 
and Russia, by which the signa- 
tories bound themselves to pro- 
tect the Porte against aggression. 

Quadruple Alliance, 17 18. 

An alliance between England, 
France, Austria and Holland, 
formed to prevent Spain re- 
covering her former possessions 
in Italy. It became the Quad- 
ruple Alliance through the ad- 
hesion of Austria to the Triple 
Alliance of 17 17. Its operations 
were completely successful, and 
Spain gave way in 17 19. 

Quadruple Alliance, 1834. 

An alliance of Great Britain, 
France, Spain and Portugal, 
effected by Palmerston as a 
counterpoise to the Holy Alli- 
ance of Russia, Prussia and 
Austria. 

Quakers. 

The name commonly given 
to the Society of Friends, a 
sect founded in 1648 by George 
Fox, a Leicestershire shoe- 
maker. The sect was organized 
into a Society in 1866. 



2o6 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Quarantaine le Roy. 

An ordinance issued in the 
early part of the reign of Louis 
IX, designed to put a stop to 
private warfare. It provided 
that in the event of a crime 
being committed, a period of 
forty days should elapse before 
vengeance was exacted, and 
that at any time during that 
period the relatives of the mur- 
dered man might call upon the 
Bailli to execute the justice of 
the King. 

Quarterage. 

A special tax levied in the 
reign of Queen Anne upon all 
Catholics who established a 
business in Ireland. 

Quebec Act. 

An Act passed in 1775 by 
Lord North's Government, 
authorizing the Crown to throw 
open posts of honour to the 
Catholics in Canada, and re- 
storing the French system of 
law in the French Canadian 
provinces. It also confirmed 
the Roman Catholic Clergy in 
their benefices. 

Queen Anne's Bounty. 

The revenue derived from 
annates and tithes on Church 
property, which had been 
transferred from the Church to 
the Crown by Henry VI 1 1. 
In 1704, Queen Anne, with 
the consent of Parliament, re- 
transferred these revenues to 
commissioners, to be employed 
in supplementing the incomes 
of benefices of less than ;£200 
per annum. The amount 
annually distributed is about 
;^36,ooo. 

Queen Dick. 

A nickname of Richard 



Cromwell, having reference to 
the weakness of his character. 

Queen of the Adriatic. 

The city of Venice is so called. 

Queen of the Antilles. 

A name given to the island of 
Cuba. 

Queen of Tears. 

The sobriquet of Mary of 
Modena, wife of James II of 
England. 

Queen Sarah. 

Sarah Duchess of Marl- 
borough ( 1 660-1 744) was so 
called on account of the ascend 
ency she exercised over Queen 
Anne. 

Queen's Gold. 

The right of the Queen Con- 
sort of England to every tenth 
mark paid to the King on the 
granting or renewal of leases 
or charters. Charles I bought 
the right from his wife for 
;^ 1 0,000, and it has never since 
been enforced. It was also 
called the aurum regincB, and is 
probably the Gersamma Re- 
gincB of Domesday Book. 

Queensberry Plot. 

A plot on the part of Lord 
Lovat, in 1703, to ruin Lord 
Athole, the Keeper of the Privy 
Seal in Scotland, with whom 
he had a feud. The plan was 
to implicate him in a pretended 
Jacobite rising in the High- 
lands. Lord Queensberry, the 
Commissioner, who also had a 
grudge against Athole, was 
drawn into the plot by the 
production of a letter from the 
ex-Queen, purporting to be 
addressed to Athole, as a 
proof that he was in correspond- 
ence with the exiled Stuarts. 
Athole had no great difficulty 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 207 



in clearing himself of suspicion, 
and Queensberry was forced to 
resign. This is known also as 
the Scots Plot. 

Queensland, Separation of. 

The erection of the northern 
portion of New South Wales into 
a separate colony under the 
title of Queensland was effected 
by an Act passed in 1859. 

Quia Emptores, Statute of. 

A Statute passed in 1290, with 
the object of preventing the 
formation of new manors. By 
this Statute land granted by a 
feudal lord ceased to belong to 
him, and owed feudal dues to 
the superior lord of the estate. 
Its result was to increase largely 
the number of gentlemen hold- 
ing direct from the Crown. 

Quietists. 

A sect which arose in France 
about 1780, under the leadership 
of Mme. Guyon, who advocated 
a contemplative rather than an 
active religious life. Fenelon 
was to a considerable extent 
influenced by these tenets. 

Quixote of the North. 

A nickname of Charles XII of 
Sweden (1697-17 18). 

Quo Warranto. 

Commissions of Quo Warranto 
were issued by Edward I to 
enquire as to how estates and 
judicial rights had passed from 
the Crown into the hands of 
individuals and corporations, 
and to settle definitely which 
were the Royal Manors. 



R 



Rabbling the Curates. 

The expulsion of Episcopalian 
clergymen in the west of Scot- 



land by the Covenanters in 
1689 is so called. These pro- 
ceedings were subsequently 
legalized by the Scottish Par- 
liament. 

Radicals. 

A name given to the ad- 
vanced wing of the Liberal 
Party about 18 16. Its leaders 
were Hunt, Cobbett, and Sir 
Francis Burdett. 

Ragman Rolls. 

A series of documents re- 
cording the progress of Edward 
I through Scotland in 1 296, with 
the names of the nobles and 
others who did homage to him. 

Raid of the Redswear. 

A border fight between the 
English and Scotch in 1575, 
arising out of a dispute at a 
meeting between the two War- 
dens of the Marches for the 
surrender of criminals who had 
crossed the border. It is the 
last border fight recorded. 

Rail Splitter. 

A nickname of Abraham 
Lincoln, who is said to have 
earned his living in 1830 by 
splitting rails. 

Raipur Ghat, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1805 be- 
tween the British and Holkar, 
by which the latter renounced 
all rights to territory north of 
the Chambul, and all his claims 
to Bundelcund and Poonah, 
while the East India Company 
agreed not to interfere with 
Holkar' s enjoyment of the ter- 
ritories he possessed to the 
south of the Chambul. 

Rakoczy's Rebellion. 

A Magyar rising, headed by 
Rakoczy in 1704, against the 



2o8 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Austrian domination. The 
war which ensued lasted over 
seven years, and was at last 
ended by the peace of Szatmar. 

Rallies. 

Members of the Catholic and 
Reactionary parties in France 
who in 1890 declared their 
adhesion to the Republican 
Government, and their aban- 
donment of reactionary prin- 
ciples. The leader of the 
movement was Cardinal Lavi- 
gerie. Archbishop of Algiers. 

Rapparees. 

Bands of Irish brigands who 
waged a guerilla warfare against 
the Protestant settlers in Ire- 
land circ. 171 1. 

Rappenkrieg. 

The War of Farthings, a 
revolt of the peasants against 
the city of Berne in 1594. 

Raskol. 

The great schism in the 
Russian Church in the seven- 
teenth century. The dissenters 
objected to certain innovations 
in ritual introduced by Nikon, 
the Patriarch, in order to cor- 
rect errors which had crept in 
owing to careless copying of 
Liturgies and other religious 
books. The dissenters were 
excommunicated, and thousands 
fled from the country. 

Ratipole. 

A nickname of Napoleon III. 

Re Galantuomo. 

The name given to Victor 
Emmanuel, the first king of 
United Italy. 

Reason, Council of. 

A council established by the 
States General summoned by 



Henri IV of France in 1596. 
Its functions were to adminis- 
ter one half of the revenues of 
the State, for the payment of all 
civil officials, the remaining half 
being handed to the King for 
his private purse and for the 
defence of the realm. 

Rebellions, Mutinies, etc. 

Arabi, Arima, Attalik, Bar- 
rackpur, Bengal, Bounty, Boxers, 
Bread and Cheese, Cabanagem, 
Camisards, Commune, Com- 
muneros. Dorr, Dozsa, Dysiefald, 
Emmett, Eureka, Fifteen, Forty- 
five, Frankfurter, Fronde, Geral- 
dines, Hungarian, Jacquerie, Ket, 
Lincolnshire, Madras, Maillotins, 
Nobles', Nore, Panthay, Pea- 
sants', Pilgrimage, Poor Conrad, 
Praguerie, Rakoczy, Red River, 
Riel, Santa Junta, Satsuma, 
Shays', Slachter's Nek, Sonthal, 
Taeping, Tokoli, Whiskey. 

Rebecca Riots. 

Riots in Wales in 1843, in 
protest against the excessive 
tolls exacted on the Welsh 
roads. Mobs, led by a man in 
woman's clothes, assembled and 
pulled down the turnpike gates. 
The name Rebecca is taken from 
a passage in Genesis : " And 
they blessed Rebekah and 
said unto her, let thy seed 
possess the gates of those which 
hate them." The riots were 
suppressed and a commission 
appointed to inquire into the 
alleged grievances. 

Recess of Colding. 

A codification of the law of 
Denmark, promulgated during 
the reign of Christian III, circ. 
1540. 

Reconcentrados. 

The inhabitants of the coun- 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 209 



try districts of Cuba which 
during the insurrection of 
1895-9, were laid waste by- 
General Weyler. By his orders 
these people were driven from 
their homes and herded into 
concentration camps where, 
owing to Government neglect, 
they died in thousands of 
famine and pestilence. 

Reconciliation, Act of. 

An Act passed in 1554, shortly 
after the accession of Mary, to 
give effect to the proposals of 
Cardinal Pole, the Papal Legate, 
for the re-establishment of the 
Papal authority in Church 
matters as it existed before the 
ecclesiastical legislation of 
Henry VIII. 
Recruiters. 

The name given by the 
Royalists to the members of the 
Long Parliament elected to fill 
the places of those who had been 
" disabled " by Parliament for 
joining the King's forces. 
Recusant Act. 

An Act passed in the first year 
of Queen Elizabeth's reign, 
subjecting to fine all persons 
who absented themselves from 
Divine Service in their parish 
church on Sundays and Holy 
Days. Protestant dissenters 
were relieved from the penalties 
of this Act by the Toleration 
Act of William and Mary, but 
Roman Catholics obtained no 
relief until 1791. 

Red Comyn. 

The nickname of Alexander 
Comyn, a claimant to the 
Scottish throne, murdered by 
Robert Bruce in 1306. 

Red Cross Knights. 

The Knights Templars were 
60 called. 



Red Cross League. 

See Geneva Convention. 

Red Cross Society. 

The generic name of the 
various associations formed, 
under the Geneva Convention, 
for the relief of the wounded 
in war. The Red Cross is the 
badge of military hospitals, 
ambulances, doctors, etc. 

Red Prince. 

The sobriquet of Prince 
Frederick Charles ( 1828-188 5), 
nephew of William I of Ger- 
many. 

Red River Rebellion. 

An outbreak in 1869 of the 
half-breed settlers on the Red 
River, who resented the trans- 
fer of their settlement from the 
Hudson's Bay Company to 
the newly formed province of 
Manitoba. It was found neces 
sary to send regular troops 
against the insurgents, and the 
revolt was promptly quelled by 
Colonel (now Viscount) Wolse- 
ley. Their leader, Louis Rial, 
escaped, and was later the 
ringleader in the rising of 1885 
known as Riel's Rebellion. 

Redif. 

The reserve of the Turkish 

Army. 

Redistribution Bill. 

A Bill passed in 1885 as the 
complement of the Franchise 
Act of 1884. It subdivided 
the old constituencies so as to 
leave only a few two-member 
constituencies in the boroughs. 
All the counties were divided 
into districts, each district re- 
turning one member. The 
plan adopted was the result of 
a conference between the two 
parties. 

p 



2IO DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Reeve. 

The Shire-reeve or Sheriff in 
Saxon times was the repre- 
sentative of the King for judi- 
cial and fiscal purposes. He 
presided over the Shire Court. 

Referendum. 

A provision in the constitu- 
tion of Switzerland to the effect 
that all laws passed by the 
Federal Assembly must be sub- 
mitted to the popular vote, if 
such a course is demanded by 
30,000 Swiss citizens, or by the 
legislatures of eight Cantons. 

Reform Bill. 

The Great Reform Bill of 1832 
abolished no less than fifty-six 
rotten boroughs, but its pro- 
visions as to redistribution and 
the franchise still left the 
larger share of political power 
in the hands of the landowning 
classes. It was first introduced 
in 183 1, and passed the Com- 
mons by a majority of one, but 
was rejected by the Lords. A 
dissolution followed and, on 
the new Parliament assembling, 
the Bill again passed the Com- 
mons, this time by a majority 
of 109, but was again rejected 
by the Lords. The Ministry 
refused to resign, and the popu- 
lar feeling was so strong that 
the Lords were forced to give 
way, and the Bill became law 
in 1832. In addition to 11 1 
seats obtained by the dis- 
franchisement of the rotten 
boroughs, some thirty boroughs 
were deprived of one member 
each. Of the seats thus ob- 
tained sixty-five were distri- 
buted among the counties, 
sixty-five among the larger 
towns, and thirteen were al- 
lotted to Scotland and Ireland. 
The borough franchise was 



given to ten pound house" 
holders, and in the counties the 
vote was given to copyholders 
and leaseholders, and to tenants 
at will paying ;^so in rent. 

Reform Bill of 1867. 

This Bill, passed by Lord 
Derby's Ministry in 1867, en- 
franchised all occupiers and all 
lodgers, of one year's residence, 
paying ;^io per annum rent in 
the boroughs, and in the 
counties all owners of property 
of ;^5 annual value and all oc- 
cupiers paying ;^i2 per annum. 
Tacked on to it was a Redistri- 
bution Bill which disfranchised 
certain small boroughs, and 
created a corresponding num- 
ber of new constituencies. It 
gave an additional member 
each to Manchester, Leeds, 
Birmingham and Liverpool, and 
a member to London Univer- 
sity. 
Reform Committee. 

See Transvaal National Union. 

Reforma, Guerra de la. 

The war between the fol- 
lowers of Juarez, the Mexican 
Liberal leader, and the reac- 
tionary party under Miramon, 
which broke out in 1858. It 
ended with the triumph of 
Juarez in 1861. 

Reformation, Edict of. 

An edict issued by Charles V 
in 1548 at the Diet of Ratisbon, 
providing for the reform of the 
Catholic Church throughout the 
Empire. It contained regula- 
tions for the election of the 
clergy, for the administration 
of the sacraments and for the 
better disciplining of the holders 
of benefices. 

Reformed Parliament. 

The Parliament summoned in 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 211 



1654 under the Instrument. 
Cromwell dissolved it at the end 
of five months. 

Reformverein. 

An association formed in 
1862, having for its object the 
unification of Germany under 
the leadership of Austria. 

Regale. 

The right of the French 
Kings to present to benefices 
falling vacant during a vacancy 
in the diocese to which they 
belonged, and to enjoy the 
revenues of vacant sees. The 
question of the exercise of this 
right caused a somewhat 
acrimonious discussion between 
Louis XIV and Innocent XI 
in 1 68 1, and led to the publica- 
tion of Bossuet's " Declaration 
of the Clergy of France." 

Regiam Majestatem. 

A collection of the ancient 
laws of Scotland, said to have 
been compiled by order of 
David I. Its authenticity is 
disputed. 

Regicides. 

The name given by the 
Royalists to the signatories of 
the death-warrant of Charles I. 

Regimen Militantis, Bull. 

The Bull of Paul III, issued 
in 1540, giving the Papal ap- 
proval to the rules of the 
Society of Jesus, as drawn up by 
Loyola, 

Registration Act. 

An Act passed in 1836, and 
amended by subsequent en- 
actments, rendering obligatory 
the registration of all births and 
deaths in the United Kingdom. 
Prior to this Act registration 
was in the hands of the Church, 



the parish register being the 
only record kept. 

Regium Donum. 

A grant from the Crown for 
the maintenance of Presby- 
terian ministers in Ireland. It 
was originally granted by 
Charles II, and after having 
lapsed during the reign of his 
successor, was revived by 
William III. It was finally 
abolished in 1869, at the time 
of the Disestablishment of the 
Irish Church. 

Regulating Act (America). 

An Act passed by Lord 
North's Government in 1774, 
after the Boston Riots, " for 
better regulating the Province 
of Massachusetts." It with- 
drew all rights and privileges 
hitherto granted, and placed 
the whole executive and judi- 
cial power in the hands of the 
Governor. . -j ^ v| i 

Regulating Act (India). ;'' i 
An Act passed in 1773, alter- 
ing the form of government of 
India, under the East India 
Company. The Governor of 
Bengal was made Governor- 
General of India, with authority 
over the Governors of the other 
two Presidencies. A council 
nominated by Parliament was 
formed, and a Supreme Court 
on the English model instituted. 

Regulators. 

The herdsmen and farmers 
in the west of North Carolina, 
finding it impossible to attend 
the law courts, which were sel- 
dom held elsewhere than at 
Charlestown, formed associa- 
tions for the purpose of regulat- 
ing their own affairs of police. 
In 1770 and 177 1 they came 
into conflict with the State 



212 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



authorities, and being de- 
feated, emigrated west in large 
numbers and colonized Tennes- 
see. 

Reichenbach, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Great Bri- 
tain, Russia and Prussia, signed 
in 1813. It provided for the 
maintenance in the field by 
Prussia of an army of 80,000 
men, in return for a subsidy 
from Great Britain of two- 
thirds of a million, while a 
secret clause stipulated for the 
restoration of Prussia to her 
territorial position in 1806. 
Russia was to supply an army 
of 160,000 men, and receive a 
subsidy double that of Prussia. 
There was to be an issue of 
paper money, under the joint 
guarantee of the three Powers, 
of ;^5, 000,000 sterling, of which 
two-thirds was to be at the dis- 
posal of Russia. This treaty 
may be said to have laid the 
foundation of the Grand Alli- 
ance, which finally freed Europe 
from the domination of Napo- 
leon. 

Reichskammergericht. 

The Supreme Tribunal of 
the German Empire, reorganized 
from the Imperial Council by 
Maximilian I in 1495. Unlike 
the Aulic Council, which accom- 
panied the Emperor wherever 
he went, this tribunal sat per- 
manently at Spires. 

Reichsrath. 

The Austrian Parliament. It 
consists of two Houses, the upper 
composed of princes of the 
blood, nobles, archbishops 
and bishops, and certain life 
members nominated by the 
Emperor ; the lower of elected 
members. 



Reichstag. 

The National Assembly of 
the German Empire. 

Reine Blanche. 

The name given by the 
French to Mary Queen of Scots, 
because she wore white as 
mourning for her husband. 

Reinsurance Treaty. 

A secret treaty signed by 
Russia and Germany, after the 
establishment of the alliance 
between Germany and Austria, 
remaining in force from 1887 to 
1890. It is said to have secured 
the contracting parties mutually 
against invasion by Austria. 
The existence of this treaty was 
revealed by the Hamburger 
Nachrichten, one of Bismarck's 
organs, in 1896, and was not 
denied by the Government. 

Relief. 

A tribute due to a feudal lord 
on succession to a fief by in- 
heritance. 

Religiosis, Statute de. 

The correct title of the 
Statute more commonly known 
as the Statute of Mortmain. 

Religious Peace. 

An edict of the States- 
General in 1578 enacting com- 
plete toleration to all religions 
throughout the United Nether- 
lands. It ordered that churches 
should be provided by the town 
authorities for all forms of 
worship, and that no inquiry 
should be made into any man's 
religious belief. This edict 
caused great discontent in the 
Walloon provinces, and was 
one of the causes of the " Mal- 
content " rising. 

Religious Peace of Augsburg. 
The grant by Charles V, in 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 213 



155s, of toleration to all who 
accepted the Confession of 
Augsburg, but to no other sect. 
Any State in the Empire might 
set up either form of faith as its 
State religion, permission being 
given to dissentients to dispose 
of their estates and emigrate. 
It was, however, provided that 
any spiritual prince who ac- 
cepted the new doctrine should 
lose his office and his revenues. 

Religious Peace of Nuremburg. 

An agreement, in 1632, be- 
tween the League of Schmal- 
kald and the Catholics, by 
which the latter agreed not to 
molest the Lutherans, who in 
their turn undertook not to give 
an}'- support to the Zwinglists 
and Anabaptists. 

Remonstrance, Great. 

A recapitulation of the tyran- 
nical and unconstitutional acts 
of Charles the First's reign, 
issued by the Long Parliament 
in 1 64 1. 

Remonstrance, Petition of. 

A petition drawn up by Peter 
Walsh, on behalf of the Irish 
Catholics, and presented to 
Charles II in 1666. It pro- 
tested against the prevailing 
opinion that the toleration of 
Catholicism was a danger to the 
State. 
Remonstrants (Netherlands). 

The followers of Arminius, 
who in 1 6 10 presented to the 
States-General a remonstrance 
against the charges of heresy 
that had been brought against 
them. They set forth in this 
document what are known as 
the " Five Articles of Arminian- 
ism." 
Remonstrants (Scotland). 

The Scotch Presbyterians who 



remonstrated against the union 
of Argyle and others with the 
Royalist party to oppose Crom- 
well in 1650. 

Renaissance. 

The revival of learning in 
Italy in the fifteenth century^ 
It was largely due to the advent 
in the West of many Greek 
scholars who fled from Con- 
stantinople on its capture by- 
the Turks in 1453, and intro- 
duced the masterpieces of 
Greek literature for the first 
time to the scholars of the West. 
The revival was further aided 
and stimulated by the invention 
of printing, which had recently 
taken place. 

Rense, Union of. 

A league of the electors to 
the Imperial throne, pledged 
to support the Emperor, Louis 
of Bavaria against the pre- 
tensions of Benedict XII, and 
to maintain the independence 
of Germany. 

Repartimiento. 

A system prevailing in 
Spanish South America, where- 
by the natives were divided into 
districts, for the purpose of 
forced labour, and Government 
depots provided to supply them 
with necessaries. This system 
led to the most outrageous 
extortion, the officials forcing 
on the natives commodities 
they did not need, at exorbitant 
prices. In 1780 the miscon- 
duct of those officials brought 
about a rising of Indians, under 
Condorcanqui, an Inca Cacique, 
who, however, was captured by 
the Spaniards and put to death. 
The revolt was continued by 
his cousin, Andres, the last of 
the Incas, who captured Sorate, 



214 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



and massacred all the inhabi- 
tants. He was, however, shortly 
afterwards captured, and the 
revolt suppressed, but it was 
not fruitless, for it led to the 
abolition of the Repartimiento 
system. 

Repealers. 

The supporters of Daniel 
O'Connell in his agitation for 
the Repeal of the Union in 
1825 and onwards. 

Reptile Fund. 

The interest on the indemnity 
payable to the ex- King of 
Hanover for the loss of his 
sovereign rights, which indem- 
nity had been impounded by 
Prussia on the ground that the 
ex-King continued his attacks 
on her. This fund was em- 
ployed by Bismarck to subsidise 
the semi-ofiSicial Press. 

Reptile Press. 

The German newspapers 
which received payment from 
Bismarck out of the Guelf 
fund to support his views, were 
known by this name. 

Republicans (U.S.A.). 

One of the two great parties 
in the United States. The 
three chief points in their poli- 
tical creed are Protection, the 
maintenance of the Gold Stan- 
dard, and Equal Rights for the 
Black and White races. They 
are strongest in the manufac- 
turing districts of the East 
and Centre. Their opponents, 
the Democrats, are less united ; 
in the South they are strong 
for the suppression of the 
negro, but by no means united 
on the other two questions. 
In the mining States of the 
West the question which is most 
to the fore is the free coinage of 



silver, while in the grain and 
cattle districts free trade is 
the rallying cry. The Demo- 
crats are also supporters of 
States Rights against Federal- 
ism, though this is now rather 
an academical than an acute 
question. 

Requests, Court of. 

A court established by 
Somerset in the reign of Edward 
VI, to enable such of the poorer 
classes as had grievances against 
the administration, to approach 
him privately. He used this 
court to set aside, whenever it 
suited his purpose, the ordinary 
process of law. 

Rescissory Act. 

An Act passed by the Scot- 
tish Parliament of 1661 (the 
Drunken Parliament ) cutting 
off or repealing all the legisla- 
tion since 1640. 

Resolutioners. 

The Scotch Presbyterians, 
under Argyle, who adopted the 
resolution to unite with the 
Royalists against Cromwell. 

Restitution, Edict of. 

An edict issued by the Em- 
peror Ferdinand II, immedi- 
ately after the Peace of Liibeck, 
in 1629, restoring ecclesiastical 
matters to the condition in which 
they were at the time of the 
Treaty of Passau in 1 5 52, and de- 
claring that Catholics only were 
entitled to benefit by the pro- 
visions of that instrument. The 
execution of this edict met with 
strong opposition from the Pro- 
testants, and it was largely in- 
strumental in bringing about 
the intervention of Gustavus 
Adolphus, 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 215 



Resumption Act. 

An Act passed in 1700, dealing 
with the forfeited lands which 
had fallen into the King's hands 
after the pacification of 
"Limerick. Some of them had 
been restored to their original 
o%\Tiers, and others granted as re- 
wards for services rendered, or 
given to the King's favourites. 
The Act revoked all these 
grants, and vested the land in 
trustees. 

Reunion, Edict of. 

An edict issued by Henri III 
in 1585, revoking all previous 
measures of toleration and 
summoning the Huguenots to 
recant or leave France. 

Revolution of July, 1830. 

The revolution by which 
Charles X was forced to abdi- 
cate the throne of France. 

Revolution of July, 1848. 

The revolution by which 
Louis Philippe was driven into 
exile, and the second French 
Republic established. Its 
effects were felt throughout the 
Continent of Europe, and it 
was followed by republican 
risings in Germany, Italy, 
Belgium and elsewhere. 

Rhenish League. 

A league formed under the 
auspices of Mazarin in 1658, by 
the union of the Protestant and 
Catholic Leagues of German 
Princes which had been estab- 
lished in 165 1. The league 
was supported financially by 
Louis XIV, and its affairs were 
managed by a Directory, sitting 
at Frankfort, under the presi- 
dency of the Elector of Mentz. 

Rhine, Confederation of the. 
A confederation of German 



States formed under the auspices 
of Napoleon in 1806. It was 
composed of Bavaria, Baden, 
Wiirtemberg, the Duchy of 
Berg, Hesse-Darmstadt, and 
some other States of minor im- 
portance, and was in alliance 
with France. 

Rhodes, Knights of. 

See Malta, Knights of. 

Rhudlann, Statute of. 

A statute of Edward I, en- 
acted in 1204, by which Wales 
was annexed to the EngUsh 
Crown. It takes its name 
from Rhudlann Castle, where 
the King was staying at the time 
of its promulgation. {See Wales, 
Statute of.) 

Ribbonism. 

An agrarian movement in the 
South and West of Ireland, 
about 1869, its object being to 
agitate for security of tenure. 
Its methods, possibly harmless 
at first, soon degenerated into 
terrorism. 

Riding of Parliament. 

An old feudal custom con- 
nected with the opening of the 
Scots Parliament, celebrated 
with special pomp at the meet- 
ing of the last Parliament in 
1703. All the members rode 
in procession from Holyrood to 
Parliament Square, fully robed 
and accompanied by train- 
bearers and servants. 

Ridolfi Plot. 

A plot instigated by Pius V 
in 1 57 1, against Elizabeth and 
in the interests of Mary Queen 
of Scots. Ridolfi was em- 
ployed to sound the Duke of 
Norfolk, who consented to enter 
into the scheme. A Catholic 
rising was to be engineered. 



2i6 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



which was to be aided by a 
Spanish invasion, EUzabeth 
was to be dethroned, and the 
Cathohc reHgion restored. The 
existence of the plot was dis- 
covered through the arrest of 
one of Ridolfi's messengers. 
His letters being in cypher, the 
names of the conspirators were 
not discovered. A little later, 
however, Norfolk was found in 
treasonable correspondence with 
Mary's partisans in Scotland, 
the whole scheme was laid bare, 
and the leaders arrested. Nor- 
folk was executed in the follow- 
ing year. 

Rial's Rebellion. 

A rising of Indian half-breeds 
in Saskatchewan, North-West 
Canada, in 1885, under Louis 
Riel, who had been the ring- 
leader of the Red River Re- 
bellion in 1869. It was easily 
suppressed by the Canadian 
Militia, and Riel captured and 
executed. 

Right, Captain. 

The name given to the head 
of a secret agrarian society which 
sprang up in Munster about 
1785. 

Right of Search. 

In maritime law, the right to 
search neutral vessels for the 
enemy's merchandise. It was 
abolished by the Treaty of 
Paris in 1856, when it was 
agreed that a neutral flag should 
cover the merchandise, ex- 
cept in the case of contraband of 
war. 

Rights of Man, Declaration 
of the. 
A declaration of the principles 
of government recognized by 
the Revolutionists, adopted by 



the French National Assembly in 
1789. 

Rigsdag. 

The Parliament of Denmark. 
It is composed of two Houses, the 
Landsthing, consisting partly 
of elected members and partly 
of life members nominated by 
the King, and the Folkething, 
an assembly elected by practi- 
cally universal suffrage. 

Riot Act (England). 

An Act passed in 171 5, pro- 
viding that any twelve or more 
persons assembled to the dis- 
turbance of the peace who shall 
fail to disperse when called upon 
to do so by proclamation of a 
magistrate or sheriff, shall be 
deemed guilty of felony. 

Riot Act (Ireland). 

An Act passed by the Irish 
Parliament in 1787 for the sup- 
pression of agrarian crime. The 
Bill, as originally drafted, con- 
tained a clause enacting that 
all Roman Catholic chapels 
in which agrarian societies had 
held meetings should be razed 
to the ground. This clause, 
however, excited violent opposi- 
tion, and was expunged from the 
Bill. 

Riots. 

See Anarchist, Astor Place, 
Austin, Birmingham, Black 
burn, Boston, Bread, Bristol, 
Chartism, Donauworth, Draft, 
Evil May Day, Glasgow, Gordon, 
Hyde Park, Kimberley, Luddite, 
Mitchelstown, Morant Bay, 
O.P,, Porteous, Rebecca, Tithe, 
Trafalgar Square, Twenge's. 

Robert the Devil, 

The younger brother of 
Richard, Duke of Normandy, 
was so called. He rebelled 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 217 



against his brother, and, find- 
ing himself worsted, feigned 
submission, and invited the 
Duke and his chief followers 
to a banquet, where he poisoned 
them, and succeeded to the 
Dukedom, 

Roberts' March. 

The famous march of Lord 
Roberts (then Sir Frederick) 
to the relief of Kandahar. He 
started from Kabul in August, 
1880, with 10,000 troops and 
8,000 camp followers, taking 
provisions for the whole march, 
as it was impossible to procure 
supplies 671 route. The dis- 
tance of 318 miles was accom- 
plished in twenty-three days, 
inclusive of halts. 

Robin Redbreasts. 

See Bow Street Runners. 

Robot. 

A form of the corvee, in exist- 
ence in Bosnia and Herze- 
govina under Turkish rule. It 
was abolished by the Austrians 
in 1892, 

Rock, Captain. 

The name adopted by the 
leader of an Irish agrarian 
society in 1822. 

Roeskild, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Denmark 
and Sweden, signed in 1656, 
after the successful campaign of 
Charles X of Sweden. Den- 
mark thereby surrendered all 
her remaining Swedish posses- 
sions. 

Rogue Money. 

A tax levied in Scotland in 
former times, the proceeds of 
which were applied to the 
apprehension and prosecution 
of criminals. It was first 



raised by statute in the reign of 
George I, 

Rohosz. 

In ancient Poland a self- 
constituted assembly of nobles, 
who took the lead in calling the 
nobility to arms when force 
became necessary to enable 
them to obtain from the King 
satisfaction of their demands. 
It was practically a revolu- 
tionary committee. 

Roi Citoyen. 

Louis Philippe* of France was 
called the Citizen King. 

Roi des Barricades. 

A nickname of Louis Philippe, 
whose accession was preceded 
by an emeute lasting three days, 
during which the mob raised 
numerous barricades in the 
streets of Paris. 

Roi du Roi. 

A sobriquet of Cardinal 
Richelieu, who during the 
reign of Louis XIII (1610-1643) 
was the real ruler of France. 
The same title was bestowed 
on Anne de Joyeuse, because 
of his ascendency over Henri III 
(1574-1589). 

Roi Panade. 

A nickname of Louis XVIII 
of France. 

Roi Soleil. 

A sobriquet of Louis XIV of 
France. 

Rois Faineans. 

A name given to the later 
kings of the Merovingian 
dynasty, who took no part in 
the government of their States, 
leaving all public affairs in the 
hands of the Maire du Palais. 

Roman Triumvirate, 1848. 
A Provisional Government 



21 8 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



established by the revolutionary 
party in Rome in 1848, It 
consisted of Counts Corsini, 
Camerata and Galetti. 

Roman Triumvirate, 1849. 

An executive appointed by 
the Italian ConstituentAssembly, 
which met in Rome with 
the object of promoting Italian 
unity under a Republican 
Government, and proceeded to 
depose the Pope as a secular 
ruler. The members of the 
Triumvirate were Mazzini, Safh 
and Armellini. 

Roman-Dutch Law. 

The fundamental law of the 
Orange Free State and South 
African Republic. It is based 
on the Institutes of Justinian, 
with the changes introduced 
into them in the Netherlands. 

Rome, League of. 

A league against the Turks, 
formed under the auspices of 
Adrian VI in 1523. Its mem- 
bers were Charles V, Henry 
VlII, the Archduke of Austria, 
the Duke of Milan, and the 
Republics of Venice, Florence, 
Genoa, Siena and Lucca. 

Rome, Synod of. 

At this Synod, held in 1059, 
Nicholas II issued regulations 
for the election of the Pope, 
which with slight modifications 
are in force at the present day. 
Up to this date the election had 
been more or less under the 
control of the Emperor, but by 
the new regulations it was 
vested in the Cardinals assembled 
in Conclave. 

Rome-Scot. 

Another name for Peter's 
Pence. 



Romorantin, Edict of. 

An edict issued by de I'Ho- 
pital, in 1560, transferring the 
power of judging heretics from 
the special court established by 
the Guises to the bishops. 

Roncaglia, Diet of. 

A Diet held by Frederic Bar- 
barossa in 11 58, after the sur- 
render of Milan. Edicts were 
issued increasing the power of 
the Emperor over the Italian 
cities, regulating the appoint- 
ment of podestas to act jointly 
with the consuls, and forbidding 
private war between the various 
cities. 

Ronin. 

In old Japan, men of gentle 
blood who, by the commission 
of some crime or for some other 
reason had become detached 
from their clan, and ceased to 
owe allegiance to any feudal 
lord. Many became hired 
swashbucklers ; others fell in 
the social scale, and entered in- 
to trade. The word signifies 
" wave men." 

Roof of the World. 

The name given to the Pamirs, 
the great Central Asian plateau, 
the mean elevation of which is 
13,000 feet above the sea- 
level. 

Root and Branch Bill. 

The name given to a bill in- 
troduced into Parliament in 
1 64 1, for " the utter abolition 
of archbishops, bishops, deans, 
archdeacons, prebendaries and 
canons." 

Roturiers. 

Wealthy citizens in the French 
feudal days, who purchased 
land from the feudal lords. 
The ranks of the nobility were 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 219 



recruited from their descen- 
dants, as the possession of land 
for three generations ennobled 
the third holder. This was 
abolished, however, in the 
reign of Philip the Fair, from 
which time the roturiers re- 
mained a class apart. 
Round Robin. 

A document signed by the 
Duke of Leinster, and other 
Irish peers and commoners, by 
which the signatories undertook 
to make government in Ireland 
impossible, if the government 
inflicted penalties upon any of 
their number on account of 
their action in the matter of the 
regency in 1789. They had 
been instrumental in obtaining 
a resolution of the Irish Parlia- 
ment, in opposition to the 
JVlinistry, offering the sovereignty 
of Ireland unconditionally to 
the Prince of Wales. 
Round Table Conference. 

A series of meetings held in 
1887 between Sir George Tre- 
velyan, Mr. Chamberlain, Mr. 
John Morley and Sir William 
Harcourt, with the object, if 
possible, of finding a basis for 
the reunion of the Liberal 
Unionists and the Glads tonians. 
No result was arrived at. 
Roundheads. 

The name given to the Puri- 
tan party, on account of their 
close-cropped hair. It was 
first used during the riots in 
London in 1641. 
Rout of Moy. 

An attempt by 1,500 men 
of the Clan MacLeod, in 1846, 
to capture the Young Pretender, 
who was staying at the Castle 
of Moy, belonging to the Laird 
of Macintosh. Their approach 
was discovered by the black- 



smith of the Macintoshes, who 
with five or six companions was 
patrolling near the castle. This 
small party separated, and 
firing into the MacLeods from 
different parts of the wood, so 
disconcerted them that they 
fled in disorder, thinking they 
had fallen into an ambush of 
the Pretender's whole army. 

Royal Marriage Act. 

An Act passed in 1772, for- 
bidding any member of the 
Royal Family, except the 
children of Princesses married 
abroad, to marry under the age 
of twenty-five without the 
King's consent. After that age, 
twelve months' notice of such 
intended marriage must be 
given, and unless petitioned 
against by both Houses of 
Parliament, the marriage could 
then take place. 

Royal Martyr. 

Charles I of England is so 
called. 

Royal Titles Act. 

An Act passed in 1876, by 
which the title of Empress of 
India was added to the Royal 
titles. 
Riichversicherung. 

See Reinsurance Treaty. 

Rump. 

The name given to the rem- 
nant of the Long Parliament, 
which continued to sit after 
Pride's Purge, until ejected by 
Cromwell in 1653. In 1659, 
after CromweU's death, the 
Rump was recalled, and re- 
turned, to the number of forty- 
two, with Lenthall, the Speaker. 
In the following year, however, 
they were again turned out by 
Monk, and the Long Parliament 
at last came to an end. 



220 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Run-about Raid. 

A rising in Scotland in 1565, 
of certain noblemen who were 
displeased at Mary's marriage 
with Darnley, Their leader was 
the Earl of Murray. They were 
unable to stand against the 
Queen's supporters, and, after 
various rapid marches, finally 
crossed the border into England 
and disbanded their forces. 

Rupert of Debate. 

This name was given to 
Edward, Earl of Derby (1799- 
1869) by Lord Lytton. 

Russian Note of 1870. 

A Note issued by the Russian 
Government, in which, taking 
advantage of the Franco-Ger- 
man War, Russia declared that 
she no longer considered herself 
bound by the Black Sea Neu- 
trality clause in the Treaty of 
Paris, and that she held herself 
at liberty to build and maintain 
a fleet of warships in those 
waters. This Note caused in- 
tense irritation in London, but 
no steps could be taken till the 
close of the war, when a con- 
ference met in London to con- 
sider the point at issue. 

Russo-Japanese Convention. 

A convention between Russia 
and Japan, signed in 1897, by 
which the contracting parties 
guaranteed the independence 
of Korea. Japan was permitted 
to keep a force of 200 armed 
police for the protection of the 
telegraph lines, and a small 
military force in Seoul, Fusan 
and Gens an. Russia was 
allowed to maintain an equiva- 
lent force for the protection of 
her legation. 

Ruthven, Raid of. 

The seizure of James VI of 



Scotland at Perth in 1581 by 
Lord Gowrie and others of the 
Protestant leaders, by way of 
checkmating the schemes of 
Lennox and the Catholics for 
the restoration of Catholicism. 

Ruytergeld. 

In feudal Holland a tax paid 
in lieu of military service, simi- 
lar to scutage. 

Rye House Plot. 

A Whig conspiracy to assas- 
sinate Charles II in 1683. It 
was revealed by one of the con 
spirators, and its ringleaders, 
Russell and Sidney, were con- 
victed and executed, while the 
Earl of Essex died by his own 
hand in prison. 

Ryotwari. 

The system of land taxation 
in India by which every peasant 
farmer is looked upon as the 
proprietor of his land, and pays 
his taxes direct to the Govern- 
ment. It is the opposite of 
the Zemindari system, the 
survival of the system practised 
under Mogul Emperors, where 
the Zemindar was responsible 
for the taxation of a certain 
district. 

Ryswick, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1697 be- 
tween France, England, Holland 
and Spain, ending the War of 
the League of Augsburg, where- 
by Louis XIV surrendered all 
his conquests since the Treaty 
of Nimeguen in 1678, and 
agreed to acknowledge William 
III as King of England, and to 
withdraw his support from 
James. A month later the 
Emperor Leopold, who was 
not a signatory of the first 
treaty, signed a separate in- 
strument, by which he recovered 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 221 



all Louis' conquests except 
Strasburg, including all the 
French fortifications on the 
right bank of the Rhine. Lor- 
raine was restored to the Duke 
Leopold, with the proviso that 
passage should be granted when 
required to the troops of France. 



Sac and Soc. 

Freedom from the jurisdic- 
tion of the Hundred which, in 
Saxon times, generally accom- 
panied grants of land. From 
this arose the jurisdiction of 
the feudal lords over their own 
estates, including such town- 
ships as might be built upon 
them. 

Safety, Committee of. 

A committee composed of 
ten commoners and five peers 
appointed by the Long Parlia- 
ment in 1642, to conduct the 
war against the King. 

Sagas. 

The Norse chronicles, re- 
cording the exploits of the most 
famous Viking chiefs. The 
earliest Sagas to which even 
an approximate date can be 
assigned are of the sixth cen- 
tury : the latest, of the thir- 
teenth. 

St. Andrew, Order of. 

The oldest Russian order of 
knighthood, founded by Peter 
the Great in 1698. 

St. Bartholomew. 

The massacre of the Hugue- 
nots in Paris on St. Bartholo- 
mew's day, 1572, when 15,000 
j)ersons are said to have per- 



ished. The Due de Guise took 
an active part in the massacre, 
which was doubtless planned 
with the connivance of Charles 
IX and Catherine de' Medici. 
Among those who were mur- 
dered was Admiral Coligny. 

St. Brice, Massacre of. 

The Massacre of the Danes 
settled in Wessex, by iEthelred 
the Unready, on St. Brice's 
day, 1002. 

St. Esprit, Order of the. 

A French order of knight- 
hood, founded by Henri III in 
1578. It ceased to exist after 
the revolution of 1830. 

St. George, Company of. 

The first body of regular 
troops raised in Italy. It was 
formed by Count Barbiano 
about 1379. 

St. Germains, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Charles IX 
and the Huguenots, signed in 
1570. It granted to the Hugue- 
nots the right of worshipping 
according to their own rites in 
private houses, with certain 
restrictions as to the numbers 
present. The Reformed Reli- 
gion was to be maintained in 
those towns which had held 
out for the Huguenot cause 
up to the signing of the treaty, 
and four towns. La Rochelle, 
Cognac, Montauban and La 
Charite, were given them as 
places of safety. 

St. Hubert, Order of. 

An ancient Bavarian order of 
knighthood, founded in 1444, 
by Gerard V, Count of Ravens- 
berg. It is conferred only on 
members of the Bavarian 
Royal Family, foreign sove- 
reigns, princes and barons. 



222 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



St. Lazare, Knights of. 

A French order of religious 
chivalry, confirmed by Pope 
Alexander IV in 1255. Their 
special function was the cure 
of lepers. The order existed 
until the Revolution. 

St. Patrick, Order of. 

An order of knighthood in- 
stituted by George III in 
1783. The Lord Lieutenant of 
Ireland is an ex-ofhcio member. 

St. Petersburg, Treaty of. 

A treaty between England 
and Russia, signed in 1805, by 
which the signatories pledged 
themselves to support a Euro- 
pean league to demand from 
France the evacuation of Han- 
over and Italy and the inde- 
pendence of Holland and Swit- 
zerland. They further under- 
took not to interfere in the 
internal affairs of France, and 
to summon a Congress for the 
settlement of all outstanding 
European questions. This 
treaty was the germ of the 
Coalition against Napoleon. 

St. Simonism. 

The political system of the 
Comte de St. Simon (1760- 
1825) who may be considered 
the founder of French socialism. 
It includes the abolition of the 
hereditary principle, and the 
vesting in the State of 
all the instruments of pro- 
duction, the worker, however, 
being rewarded according to 
his capacity, and not by equal 
division regardless of merit. 

Saisons, Societe des. 

A revolutionary secret society 
in Paris, headed by Bernard, 
Blanqui and Barbes. Some 
600 members of the Society rose 
in 1837, and raised barricades 



in the streets of Paris, but the 
outbreak was immediately sup- 
pressed, and its leaders were all 
seized and imprisoned. 

Saladin Tax. 

A tax of a tenth on all pro- 
perty, imposed by Henry III 
for the prosecution of the 
Crusades. 

Salamanca, Council of. 

A council summoned by Fer- 
dinand of Spain in i486, to 
which were submitted the plans 
of Columbus for a voyage to the 
West. 

Salbai, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1782 at 
the close of the first Mahratta 
War, by which the Mahrattas 
agreed to pension Raghoba, 
and Haidar Ali surrendered all 
his conquests. It was further 
stipulated that all Europeans 
other than British and Portu- 
guese should be expelled from 
the Mahratta States. 

Salchichon (The Sausage). 

A nickname bestowed by the 
Spaniards on Thomas, Duke of 
Genoa, who was put forward 
by Marshal Prim as a candi- 
date for the Spanish throne. 

Salford Court of Record. 

A Court of Record of the 
Hundred of Salford, which dates 
back to Anglo-Saxon times. It 
is one of the very few mediaeval 
courts which were not abolished 
by the Judicature Act of 1873. 

Salic Law. 

A code of laws promulgated 
by Clovis, generally called the 
founder of the French Mon- 
archy, circ. 500. By the Salic 
Law women were forbidden to 
inherit land, a prohibition 
which was afterwards inter- 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 223 



preted as including the right 
of succession to the throne. 
The Enghsh Kings refused to 
accept this interpretation, and 
the various attempts they made 
to enforce their claim to the 
French throne led to the pro- 
longed conflict known as the 
Hundred Years War, which 
broke out in the reign of 
Edward III. Edward claimed 
the throne through his mother 
Isabella, daughter of Philip IV, 
all of whose sons died without 
male issue. 

Sallee Rovers. 

The name given to the 
Moorish pirates who infested 
the Mediterranean till well into 
the nineteenth century. Sallee 
or Sali, one of their principal 
ports, is on the Atlantic coast 
of Morocco. 

Samoan Conference. 

A conference held at Berlin 
in 1889, at which Germany, 
Great Britain and the United 
States were represented. An 
arrangement was arrived at by 
which the three Powers recog- 
nized the independence of 
Samoa, and the right of the 
natives to elect their king. At 
the same time provision was 
made for a Supreme Court of 
Justice, under European con- 
trol, and for the regulation of 
the trade in arms and intoxi- 
cating liquors. It was siiper- 
seded in 1899 by the Samoan 
Treaty. 

Samoan Treaty. 

A treaty between Germany, 
Great Britain and the United 
States signed in 1899, after the 
suppression of the civil war 
between Mataafa and Mahetoa. 
Germany obtained possession 



of Samoa, and the United 
States secured a naval port at 
Tutuila, in Pago Pago, while 
England's rights over Tonga 
were recognized. Equal liberty 
of trading was secured to all the 
contracting parties. 

Samurai. 

The military, governing and 
literary class in Old Japan, the 
retainers of the Daimios. They 
were the highest of the four 
classes into which the nation 
was divided, and formed in fact 
the gentry of Japan. The army 
and navy of to-day are almost 
exclusively of&cered by mem- 
bers of the Samurai families. 

San Ildefonso, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Spain and 
the French Directoire, signed in 
i794,providing that either Power, 
in the case of one or the other 
being attacked, should provide 
for its ally material aid in the 
shape of fifteen ships of war, and 
a land contingent of 24,000 
men. This provision, however, 
was not to apply to the war in 
which France was then engaged, 
excepting only in the case of 
England, against whom Spain, 
having grievances of her own, 
was prepared to take up arms 
at once. 

San Juan Arbitration. 

The question as to the owner- 
ship of the island of San Juan, 
l5dng between Vancouver and 
the American coast, arose out 
of the wording of the Treaty of 
Ghent in 18 18, by which in- 
strument the middle of the 
channel between Vancouver 
and the mainland was fixed as 
the boundary. San Juan being 
in the middle of the channel, 
the question of ownership was a 



224 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



doubtfulfone, but the arbitra- 
tors, in 1872, decided in favour 
of the United States. 

San Stefano, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed by Russia 
and Turkey, at the close of the 
Russo-Turkish War in 1878. 
By its provisions the whole 
of the Christian provinces of 
Turkey were rendered practi- 
cally independent, while Bul- 
garia was erected into an im- 
portant state with a port on 
the iEgean Sea. England re- 
fused to recognize this treaty, 
and eventually Russia agreed 
to submit it to a European 
Congress, which was held at 
Berlin in the autumn of the 
same year. 

Sanctuary. 

The right claimed by the 
Church of affording protection 
to criminals who took refuge in 
churches and other consecrated 
precincts. In some cases these 
refugees from justice were en- 
abled to set the law at defiance 
for years, by keeping within 
these precincts. Some of the 
most notorious of these cities 
of refuge were abolished by 
Act of Parliament in 1697, but 
it was not until the reign of 
George I that the last of them, 
the Sanctuary of St. Peter's, 
Westminster, ceased to exist. 

Sand River Convention. 

A treaty signed in 1852 by 
which the British Government 
recognized the right of the 
emigrants beyond the Vaal to 
manage their own affairs, and 
govern themselves in accordance 
with their own laws. Other 
clauses of the Convention pro- 
vided for free trade, except in 
arms, arbitration in any dispute 



that might arise in respect of 
the boundary over the Drakens- 
berg, extradition, and free 
passage of the Vaal for all 
except criminals and fugitive 
debtors. The British Govern- 
ment further disclaimed the 
right to make treaties with 
native tribes north of the Vaal. 

Sandomierz, Confederation of. 

A league of the nobles of 
Little Poland formed in 1702 to 
oppose Charles XII of Sweden 
and support Augustus II. 

Sanfedisti. 

A Neapolitan secret society 
established in Naples, with the 
approval of the Pope, during 
the first decade of the nineteenth 
century, to oppose the Car- 
bonari and support the Church. 

Sanquhar Declaration. 

A declaration issued by 
Richard Cameron and other 
leaders of the Covenanters in 
1680, proclaiming that Charles 
I had forfeited the crown by his 
breach of the Covenant. 

Sans Gene, Madame. 

The sobriquet of the Mare- 
chale Lefebvre, Duchesse de 
Dantzic, given her on account 
of her free and easy manners 
at the Court of Napoleon. 
She had been a washerwoman, 
and afterwards followed her 
husband in the wars as a 
vivandiere. 

Sans Souci, the Philosopher of. 

Voltaire's name for Frederick 
the Great of Prussia (1740-86). 

Sansculottes. 

The revolutionary rabble of 
Paris, so called by the Royalists 
because they wore trousers in- 
stead of the knee-breeches 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 225 



affected by the upper classes. 
The word means literally " with- 
out breeches." 

Santa Hermandad. 

See Hermandad. 

Santa Junta. 

A league of the Castilian 
cities in 1520, under Juan de 
Padilla and Ferdinand de 
Avalos, which refused to re- 
Gognize the authority of Adrian 
Boyens, the Fleming appointed 
Regent by Charles V. Charles 
offered certain concessions, 
which were refused, and a civil 
war resulted, which ended in the 
total defeat of the Junta in 
1 521, though Toledo held out 
for another year. This rising 
is also known as the Revolt of 
the Communeros. 

Santiago de Compostella, Order 
of. 

A Spanish order of rehgious 
chivalry founded in 1170, and 
approved by Papal Bull in 1175. 
Its members were vowed to 
obedience, community of goods 
and conjugal chastity, and also 
to perpetual war against the 
Mussulman. 

Santiago, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Chile and 
Bolivia, concluded in 1866, 
delimiting the frontier between 
the two States. 

Sardinia, Kingdom of. 

This kingdom came into exist- 
ence in 1720, when Sardinia was 
ceded by Austria to the House 
of Savoy, in exchange for Sicily, 
the name being applied to the 
new combination of Savoy, 
Sardinia and Piedmont. It 
lasted until Victor Emmanuel 
became King of United Italy in 
1861. 



Sardinian Convention. 

A convention, signed in 1855, 
by which the King of Sardinia 
undertook to furnish 1 5 ,000 men 
in aid of France and England 
in the Crimea, the troops to be 
transported by England, In 
return the allies guaranteed 
the integrity of the King's 
dominions. 

Sarnen, League of. 

A league formed in 1832 by 
the cantons of Basle, Uri, 
Schwyz, Unterwalden, Valais, 
and Neuchatel to oppose Federal 
revision and support the Federal 
Pact of 1 81 5. It was also 
called the Sonderbund. 

Satisfaction. 

An agreement arrived at in 
1578 between the Protestant 
party and the Catholic magis- 
trates of Amsterdam, whereby, 
following the example of other 
Dutch cities, the two religions 
were placed on an equal footing. 

Satsuma Rebellion. 

A rising of the Prince of 
Satsuma against the Japanese 
Government in 1877, at the 
head of the party opposed to 
reform. The rebellion was soon 
suppressed. 

Savary, Code. 

A codification of the French 
Commercial Law, issued by 
Louis XIV in 1673. 

Saviour of the Nations. 

The Duke of Wellington was 
so called after the battle of 
Waterloo. 

Savoy Conference. 

A conference of bishops of 

the Church of England, held in 

1 66 1, with the object of so 

amending the liturgy as to per- 

Q 



226 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



mit of the Puritan party remain- 
ing in the Church. It was, how- 
ever, found impossible to arrive 
at any acceptable middle course. 

Savoy Confession. 

A declaration of faith of the 
Congregational Churches of 
England, issued in 1658. It is 
a modification of the West- 
minster Confession. 

Saxonicum Litus. 

The ancient name of the coast 
line of England, from the Wash 
to Shoreham. 

Scabini. 

Judicial assessors, twelve in 
number, chosen by the allodial 
landowners, who accompanied 
each Count to the general assem- 
blies of the early French kings. 

Scalds. 

The bards of the ancient 
Norsemen were so called. 

Scandalum Magnatum. 

The spreading of libellous 
reports concerning peers, judges 
or great officers of the State was 
created an offence by a statute of 
1275, which was repealed in 
1887. 

Schism. 

After the Avignon Captivity 
and the death of Gregory XI, 
the cardinals, under pressure of 
the Roman populace, elected as 
Pope in 1378 a perfectly unfit 
person, who took the name of 
Urban VI. They endeavoured 
to persuade him to resign, but 
failing, elected Robert of Geneva, 
who took the name of Clement 
VII. The schism continued, 
each Pope having a successor 
appointed at his death, till at the 
Council of Pisa, in 1409, both 
were deposed, and a Franciscan 
monk elected who took the 



name of Alexander V. As 
neither of the deposed Popes 
would give way, there were now 
three. Alexander was suc- 
ceeded by Cossa, as John XXIII, 
and finally the schism was ended 
by the Council of Constance in 
141 5, where all three Popes 
were deposed, and Martin V, a 
Colonna, was elected. 

Schism Act. 

An Act passed in 17 14, by 
which all persons were forbidden 
to keep schools or act as tutors, 
who were not members of the 
Church of England, and duly 
licensed for the purpose by the 
bishop. It was repealed in 
1719. 

Schism, Great. 

The severance between the 
Churches of the East and the 
West, which became final in 
1054, when the legates of Pope 
Victor II laid the papal ana- 
thema upon the altar of St. 
Sophia of Constantinople. 

Schleswig-Holstein Question. 

By the Treaty of London of 
1852 it was provided that the 
succession to the Danish throne 
was to be vested in Prince 
Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, 
but that the Duchies, one of 
which, Holstein, was a German 
Duchy, sending delegates to the 
German Diet, should not be in- 
corporated in the kingdom of 
Denmark. The Danes, how- 
ever, did not observe the com- 
pact, and before the death of 
Frederick VII of Denmark, in 
1862, Schleswig had been made 
practically a part of Denmark. 
After the succession of Christian 
IX, Austria and Prussia, finding 
protests unavailing, entered the 
Duchies, and, after a short 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 227 



struggle, overwhelmed the Dan- 
ish army. By the Treaty of 
Gastein, signed in 1865, Schles- 
wig was allotted to Prussia and 
Holstein to Austria. 

Schmalkald, Articles of. 

A profession of the Lutheran 
doctrine, similar to, but more 
forcibly worded than, the Augs- 
burg Confession, drawn up by 
Luther at the request of John 
Frederick of Saxony. 

Schmalkald, League of. 

A confederation of the 
Lutheran Princes of Germany, 
headed by the Elector of Saxony, 
formed in 1530 to unite the 
supporters of the Reformed 
Religion against Charles V. 

Schomburgk Line. 

The line of demarcation be- 
tween British Guiana and 
Venezuela fixed by Sir Robert 
Schomburgk in his of&cial survey 
of the colony in 1840. The 
Schomburgk Line was, with 
unimportant exceptions, upheld 
by the arbitrators in the 
Venezuelan arbitration award 
of 1899. 

Schonbrunn, Proclamation of. 

A proclamation of Napoleon 
in 1805, declaring the deposition 
of the Bourbons from the throne 
of Naples. 

Schonbrunn, Treaty of. 

A treaty between France and 
Prussia, signed in December 
1805, by which Napoleon suc- 
ceeded in detaching Prussia 
from the coalition. Prussia 
entered into an offensive and 
defensive alliance with France, 
and surrendered Anspach and 
Neuchatel, receiving Hanover 
in exchange. 



Scots Plot. 

See Queensberry Plot, 

Scottish Solomon. 

A sobriquet of James I of 
England and VI of Scotland. 

Scrutin d'Arrondissement. 

A system of election by which 
every Department is divided 
into wards, or divisions, each 
returning one member to the 
Chamber of Deputies. It is the 
system at present in force [in 
France. 

Scrutin de Liste. 

A system of election in France 
by which all the deputies for a 
Department are elected en bloc. 
It was in force in 1 848 and again 
in 1 87 1, while an unsuccessful 
attempt to reintroduce it was 
made in 188 1. It is also the 
system prevailing in Italy. 

Scullabogue, Massacre of. 

The massacre by the Irish 
Rebels in 1798 of nearly 200 
Protestant prisoners. They 
were shut up in a barn, and 
after the defeat of the rebels at 
New Ross, the barn was fired 
and they were burnt to death, 
or piked as they attempted to 
escape. 

Scutage. 

A money payment exacted 
from knights in lieu of personal 
service. The first instance of 
it occurs in the reign of Henry II. 
It enabled the king to hire 
mercenaries for his foreign wars, 
and to dispense with the services 
of his barons, and came to be 
regarded as a regular source of 
revenue. The right of the 
sovereign to exact it, however, 
was greatly restricted by Magna 
Charta. It was also known as 
escuage. 



228 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Sea-dogs. 

English privateers in the early 
days of Elizabeth, who preyed 
on French commerce in the 
Channel, sailing under letters of 
marque granted by Conde and 
the Huguenots. When the dif- 
ferences between the Huguenots 
and Catholics were adjusted and 
the letters of marque with- 
drawn, they joined the Dutch 
" Beggars of the Sea " in their 
raids upon the Spaniards. 

Sealed Knot. 

A small band of Royalists 
formed as a secret committee to 
manage the affairs of the party 
in 1657. One of their number, 
Willis, was in the pay of Crom- 
well, who was thereby enabled 
to counteract their numerous 
plots for his destruction. 

Secession, Ordinance of. 

The declaration issued by 
South Carolina in 1 860 dissolving 
its union with the United States. 
The other Southern States fol- 
lowed with similar declarations. 

Second Charlemagne. 

A sobriquet of Charles V, 
Emperor of Germany (1519-58)- 

Second Washington. 

Henry Clay, the American 
statesman (1777-185 2), was so 
called. 

Secret Treaty. 

A document published in the 
Times of July 25, 1870, pur- 
porting to be the text of a treaty 
between France and Prussia, 
containing the following pro- 
visions : the recognition by 
France of Prussia's acquisitions 
in the war with Austria ; an 
undertaking by Prussia to use 
her influence with Holland to 
secure Luxemburg for France, 



and to aid France if she found 
it necessary to undertake the 
conquest of Belgium, providing 
a force if required to resist any 
foreign interference ; an under- 
taking by France not to oppose 
Prussia's designs for the uni- 
fication of Germany. Whether 
this treaty was ever signed or 
not, there is little doubt that 
proposals of this nature were 
made to Bismarck by Benedetti, 
Napoleon's minister at Berlin. 

Sections, Journee des. 

October 5, 1794, on which day 
the troops of the Convention, 
under Buonaparte, routed the 
National Guard of the " Sec- 
tions " of Paris and established 
the rule of the Directoire, thus 
marking the end of the Revolu- 
tion. 

Sects. 

See Albigenses, Alumbrados, 
Anabaptists, Arminians, Arya 
Somaj, Assassins, Bianchi, Brah- 
mo Somaj, Brownists, Calixtines, 
Cameronians, Doppers, Duk- 
hobors, Erastians, Fifth Monar- 
chy Men, Flagellants, Hussites, 
Iconoclasts, lUuminati, Indepen- 
dents, Jansenists, Karmathians, 
Latitudinarians, Levellers, Lol- 
lards, Molokani, Moravians, Mor- 
mons, Old Catholics, Quakers, 
Quietists, Senussi, Shakers, 
Shiah, Sikhs, Socinians,- Skoptsi, 
Stundists, Sunni, Taborites, 
Utraquists, Wahabis, Waldenses. 

Secularization. 

By a treaty concluded in 1803, 
in the promotion of which 
Napoleon took a prominent 
part, the ecclesiastical States of 
Germany, three of which, the 
Sees of Mayence, Treves and 
Cologne, were Electors to the 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 229 



Imperial crown, were secularized 
and distributed among the other 
German States. 

Securities Bill. 

A Bill brought forward at the 
instance of Charles II in 1679, 
to provide for the succession of 
James, who was a declared Roman 
Cathohc. The Bill provided 
that while a Catholic prince was 
on the throne the right of 
appointing to livings should be 
withdrawn from him, and that 
the appointment of all judges, 
councillors, lords lieutenant 
and officers of the fleet should be 
in the hands of the two Houses 
of Parliament. This Bill was 
not considered sufficiently 
stringent. 

Security, Act of. 

An Act passed by the Scottish 
Parliament in 1703, declaring 
that the successor of Queen 
Anne in Scotland should not 
be the same as in England, 
unless free commercial inter- 
course were secured between 
the two countries. 

Sedan, Man of. 

A name bestowed on Napoleon 
III after his surrender, with the 
army of Macmahon, at Sedan in 
September, 1870. 

Self-denying Ordinance. 

A resolution of the ParHament, 
passed at the instance of Crom- 
well, by which the members of 
both Houses were made ineli- 
gible for commands in the army. 
Its object was to get rid of some 
of the Parliamentary generals, 
such as Manchester, Essex and 
Waller, in as delicate a way as 
possible. The resolution was at 
first rejected by the Lords, but 
was afterwards passed. 



Selski Starosta. 

The village elder or elected 
head of a Russian mir, or village 
community. 

Semiramis of the North. 

Margaret of Denmark (1387) 
was so called. Voltaire also 
gave this title to Catherine of 
Russia (1729-96). 

Sempach, Convention of. 

A military ordinance promul- 
gated in 1393 by the eight 
federated cantons of S\vitzer- 
land, together with Soleure, 
making provision for the re- 
pression of private war, brigand- 
age and pillage. 

Senussi. 

A Mohammedan religious 
fraternity founded at Fez by 
Mohammed-es-Senussi about 
1830. It has spread all over 
Northern Africa, and is a power- 
ful factor in uniting African 
Mohammedanism. 

September Convention. 

A convention between France 
and Italy, signed in 1864, by 
which Louis Napoleon agreed 
gradually to Avithdraw the 
French troops from Rome, Victor 
Emmanuel undertaking not to 
violate the Pope's territory. 

September Laws. 

A series of laws restricting the 
liberty of the Press, passed in 
France in 1835. 

September Massacres. 

The massacre, after a mock 
trial, of the priests, officials and 
other Royalists confined in the 
prisons of Paris between the 
2nd and 6th of September, 1792. 
About 1 ,000 prisoners are known 
to have perished. The men 



230 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



afterwards called the Septem- 
briseurs. 

Septembrists. 

A section of the democratic 
party of Portugal, during the 
reign of Queen Maria, who in 
September, 1836, demanded the 
abrogation of the Charter of 1 826 
and a return to the democratic 
form of governmicnt established 
by the Constitution of 1824, A 
compromise between them and 
the supporters of the Charter 
was effected in 1852. 

Septennial Act. 

An Act passed in 17 16, pro- 
longing the term of the then 
existing Parliament from three 
to seven years. It was intended 
as a temporary measure, but has 
never been repealed, and is the 
Act under which Parliaments 
are now held. 

Serfs, Russian. 

Prior to the emancipation of 
the serfs by Alexander II. in 
1 86 1, the Russian peasants 
were serfs, either of the State, or 
of a great landowner. The 
State serfs were practically free, 
with the exception that they 
could not change their domicile, 
but they were permitted, on 
payment of a small fee, to leave 
their villages, subject to the 
due payment of their share of 
the village taxes. The serfs of 
the nobles were more like slaves. 
Some of them were taken as 
house servants, others remained 
in the villages and rendered 
certain services to the lord in 
return for the land which he 
surrendered to the village com- 
mune. The house serfs were 
practically chattels, and were 
not infrequently sold. 



Seringapatam, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1792 at the 
close of the third Mysore War, 
by which Tippu Sahib surren- 
dered Dindigul, Baramahal and 
Malabar, and agreed to pay a 
war indemnity of three crores 
of rupees to the British and 
thirty lacs to the Mahratta States. 

Serrar del Consiglio. 

A measure passed in Venice in 
1298 providing that no citizens 
should be eligible for election to 
the Grand Council except the 
families of senators then in office. 
The Government was thus estab- 
lished on purely aristocratic 
lines. 

Servian Capitulation. 

A treaty signed in 1375 be- 
tween Mourad I, Sultan of 
Turkey, and Lazar, Despot of 
Servia, by which Servia acknow- 
ledged the suzerainty of Turkey 
and agreed to pay an annual 
tribute. 

Settled Lands Act. 

An Act passed in 1882, intro- 
duced by Lord Cairns, removing 
many of the restrictions and 
difficulties existing in dealing 
with entailed estates. 

Settlement, Act of, 1652. 

An Act passed by Cromwell, 
providing for the banishment of 
all the ofiicers of the Catholic 
army in Ireland, who, with their 
followers, withdrew to the Con- 
tinent, to the number of some 
30,000 ; the confiscation of a 
portion of the property of the 
remaining Royalists, and the 
distribution of their lands 
among the English adventurers. 
It further confined the Catholics 
to the right bank of the Shannon. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 231 



Settlement, Act of, 1661. 

An Act passed after the Re- 
storation, by which, and a sup- 
plementary Act passed in 1665, 
restitution was made to the 
dispossessed Royalist officers 
and some others, partly out of 
lands which had not been 
alienated by Cromwell, and 
partly out of land surrendered, 
to the extent of one-third of 
their estates, by the adven- 
turers. The majority of the 
claims for compensation were 
disregarded, with the result that 
by far the larger part of Ireland 
remained in Protestant hands. 
This Act was repealed by the 
Irish Parliament summoned by 
James II in 1689. 

Settlement, Act of, 1700. 

The Act settling the succession 
after the death of Queen Anne 
upon the Electress Sophia of 
Hanover and her descendants. 
It provided for various limita- 
tions of the royal prerogative ; 
among its provisions being that 
the sovereign should be a mem- 
ber of the Church of England ; 
that Great Britain should not 
be called upon to defend any 
territories not being British ter- 
ritory, without the consent of 
Parliament ; that the sovereign 
should not quit the realm ; that 
no person born out of the realm 
should be capable of holding 
office under the Crown, and that 
no person holding office or en- 
jo5n[ng a pension should sit in the 
House of Commons. 

Settlement, Law of. 

A law passed in 1662, pro- 
viding that a labourer not born 
in the parish or resident therein 
for forty days, might be removed 
to the parish of his birth or for- 



mer residence, on complaint of 
the overseers that he was likely 
to become chargeable to the 
rates. The object was that each 
parish should be compelled to 
support its own paupers, under 
the Poor Law of Elizabeth. 

Settlement of India Act. 

An Act passed in 1858, trans- 
ferring to the Government of the 
Queen all the territories hitherto 
governed by the East India Com- 
pany. 

Seven Bishops, Petition of the. 

A petition signed by the 
Archbishop of Canterbury and 
six bishops against the Declara- 
tion of Indulgence of James II 
in 1687. The bishops were 
brought before the Council and 
ordered to find bail, and on 
refusing were committed to the 
Tower. 

Seven Cantons, League of the. 

The Siebenkonkordat, a league 
of the liberal Cantons, Lucerne, 
Zurich, Berne, Soleure, St. Gall, 
Aargau and Thurgau, formed in 
1832, with the object of pro- 
tecting the constitutions of these 
Cantons and promoting Federal 
reforms. 

Seven Days Battle. 

A series of battles fought 
during the Peninsular Campaign 
of the American Civil War, from 
June 25 to July i, 1862, between 
the Federals under McClellan and 
the Confederates under Lee. 
McClellan was driven back to the 
James River. 

Seven Days King. 

Masaniello was so called after 
his brief rule in Naples in 1647. 

Seven Earls. 

The dignitaries next in im 



232 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



portance to the king in mediae- 
val Scotland. In the time of 
Alexander I they formed the 
Council of the Kingdom, and 
they claimed the right of ap- 
pointing the king. 

Seven Pillars. 

The seven men chosen in 1639 
by the Puritan colonists of New 
Haven to organize the Govern- 
ment of the colony. The most 
prominent among them were 
Eaton and Davenport. 

Seven Points. 

A document published in 
1 87 1, purporting to be an agree- 
ment between certain prominent 
Conservatives and the delegates 
of the Council of Skilled Work- 
men, on the subject of social 
reform. As the " points " in- 
cluded a statutory eight hours' 
day, free places of amusement 
and full local self-government in 
all towns and villages, it is not 
surprising that the document 
was repudiated by most of those 
who were said to have signed it, 
including Lords Salisbury, Lome 
and Carnarvon. 

Seven Weeks War. 

The war between Prussia and 
Austria in 1 866 is so called. 

Seven Years War. 

The war maintained by 
Frederick the Great, with some 
aid, chiefly naval and financial, 
from England, against the com- 
bined forces of France, Russia, 
Austria, Sweden and Saxony. 
It lasted from 1756 to 1763, but 
early in 1762 Frederick succeeded 
in detaching Russia from the 
allies and received her aid till 
the end of the struggle. 

Seville, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1729 by 



England, Spain and France, and 
subsequently Holland, thus de- 
taching Spain from the Austrian 
alliance concluded by the Treaty 
of Vienna of 1725. Spain re- 
voked all the concessions made 
to Austria under that instru- 
ment, again confirmed the 
Asiento, and in return received 
the support of the other signa- 
tories to the succession of Don 
Carlos to the Duchies of Tuscany 
and Parma. 

Shakers. 

A sect founded in England 
about 1757 by a body of seceders 
from the Quakers, under Ann 
Lee, known as Mother Ann, 
They emigrated to America in 
1772, where they are found 
chiefly in New York State. 

Shays' Rebellion. 

A rising in Massachusetts in 
1786, headed by an ex-officer 
named Daniel Shays, in oppo 
sition to a decision of Congress 
to apportion the National Debt 
of the United States among the 
various States of the Union. The 
rising was quickly suppressed 
by the militia, and the ring 
leaders arrested. 

Sheriff's Tourn. 

The Hundred Court, when oc- 
cupied with the View of Frank 
pledge, was known by this name. 

Sherman's March. 

The famous march of General 
Sherman during the American 
Civil War from Atlanta to 
Savannah, a distance of 300 
miles, which he accomplished 
in about a month, reaching 
Savannah in December, 1864. 

She- wolf of France. 

Isabel, daughter of Philip the 
Fair, and Queen of Edward II of 
England, was so called. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 233 



Sheyk-ul- Islam. 

The chief of the Ulema of 
Constantinople. 

Shiah. 

One of the two great Moham- 
medan sects. It rejects the 
Sunni, or body of tradition, 
accepting the Koran only. 

Shimonoseki, Treaty of. 

A treaty, closing the Chino- 
Japanese War, signed April 10, 
1895. China agreed to cede to 
Japan Formosa, the Pescadores 
and the Liao-Tung Peninsula, 
including Port Arthur, and to 
pay an indemnity of 200 million 
taels. However, Russia, France 
and Germany intervened and 
forced Japan to surrender the 
Liao-Tung peninsula, receiving 
as compensation an additional 
, 30 million taels. 

Shinto. 

The ancient and also the State 
religion of Japan. It is in its 
origin a form of ancestor and 
hero worship, but has been much 
corrupted by the interweaving 
of many of the grosser Budd- 
histic superstitions. 

Ship-money. 

A tax imposed by Charles I 
in 1634, first on the maritime 
counties, but later on the whole 
kingdom, ostensibly to protect 
the country from the incursions 
of the Algerine pirates and from 
Dutch aggression, but in reality 
to provide himself with funds 
without having recourse to Par- 
liament. It was in resisting the 
payment of this tax that Hamp- 
den first became prominent. 
The House of Commons declared 
it illegal in 1641, and at the same 
time impeached the six judges 
who had pronounced in favour 



of the right of the Crown to 
impose it. 

Shogun. 

The de facto ruler of Japan 
prior to the Revolution of 1 868. 
The title signifies Commander- 
in-Chief, and his relations with 
the Tenno or Mikado, the 
legitimate sovereign of Japan, 
were analogous to those of the 
Maire du Palais and the Mero- 
vingian Rois Faineants. The 
title of Tycoon or Great Prince 
was assumed by the Shogun to 
impress the Western nations 
with his dignity when diplo- 
matic relations were first opened 
with Japan. The title of 
Shogun was first borne by 
Minamoto-no-Yoritomo in 11 92. 

Short Parliament. 

A Parliament summoned by 
Charles I in 1640 in the hope of 
obtaining supplies to meet the 
threatened renewal of hostilities 
with Scotland. The Parliament 
met on April 13, but finding it 
more intent on the redress of 
grievances than on the grant of 
supplies, Charles dissolved it on 
May 5 following. 

Short-lived Administration. 

The name given to the 
Ministry formed by William 
Pulteney, Earl of Bath, in 
February, 1746. It held office 
for two days only. 

Sicilian Vespers. 

A rising in Sicily in 1282, 
when the adherents of Don 
Pedro of Aragon, a claimant to 
the Sicilian throne, annihilated 
the French garrison of his rival 
Charles of Anjou. The first 
outbreak took place at Palermo, 
and the insurrection spread 
rapidly through the island till 



234 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



not a Frenchman was left alive 
in Sicily. 

Sick Man of the East. 

A phrase commonly applied 
to the Turkish Empire. It was 
first used in its present form by 
Nicholas I of Russia in 1854, but 
Montesquieu (1689-175 5) in the 
Lettres Persanes speaks of the 
Ottoman Empire as " Ce corps 
malade" (This sickly body). 

Siebenkonkordat. 

See Seven Cantons. 

Siete Partidas. 

The famous code of laws com- 
piled by Alfonso (surnamed the 
Wise), of Leon and Castille 
(1252-82). The code became 
the basis of the law of Spain. 

Sieve Oultagh. 

The name given to the head 
of the Whiteboys, an Irish Secret 
Society in Munster in 1761. 

Silent, The. 

The sobriquet of William I, 
Prince of Orange (1533-84). 

Silk Riots. 

An outbreak of the Spital- 
fields weavers in 1765 owing to 
their disappointment at the 
rejection of a Bill prohibiting 
the importation of foreign silks. 
They were, after serious rioting, 
quieted by the promise that the 
Bill would be reintroduced. 

Silly Billy. 

A nickname of William IV. 

Silver Coinage Act. 

An Act of Congress, passed in 
1890, by which the Treasury is 
obliged to purchase ,four and a 
half million ounces of silver 
monthly at market price, such 
price not to exceed 37 1|- grains 
of silver per dollar. 



Sikhs. 

A religious sect in Northern 
India, founded in the sixteenth 
century by Babu Nanak. They 
profess a reformed form of 
Hinduism, rejecting caste and 
various Brahminical supersti- 
tions. Under Govind Rai, 
towards the end of the seven- 
teenth century, they formed a 
strong military organization, 
which reached its zenith under 
Ranjit Singh early in the nine- 
teenth century. Their power 
was finally crushed by the 
British in 185 1. 

Sikkim Treaty. 

A treaty between Great 
Britain and China, signed in 
1 890, by which China recognized 
the British rights in Sikkim. 

Simla Manifesto. 

A proclamation issued by 
Lord Auckland in 1838 setting 
out the British policy with 
regard to Afghanistan. It de- 
clared that Dost Mahomed and 
his brother had shown them- 
selves unfriendly to England by 
supporting the Persian designs 
on Herat and by attacking 
Ranjit Singh. That in conse- 
quence the British Government 
had decided to support the 
claim of Shah Sujah-ul-Mulk to 
the throne of Afghanistan and 
maintain him thereon by force 
if necessary. 

Simple Repeal. 

A controversy in the Irish 
Parliament, which arose in 1782 
immediately after the establish- 
ment of Grattan's Parliament. 
A party headed by Flood held 
that the abnegation by Eng- 
land of her former legislative 
control was not sufficient, as she 
might at any time re-enact the 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 235 



obnoxious controlling laws. He 
held that England should ex- 
pressly renounce all controlling 
rights. Grattan held that the 
repeal of these enactments was 
sufi&cient, and carried Parlia- 
ment with him, but the masses 
continued to hold the opposite 
opinion, 

Sindhia. 

The title of the Mahratta 
rulers of Gwalior. 

Sinope, Massacre of. 

The destruction of a Turkish 
squadron by the Russian fleet at 
Sinope in 1853. It seems clear 
that no quarter was given, and 
it is said that of the crews of 
nine Turkish men-of-war only 
400 survived, almost all of 
whom were wounded. 

Sirji Arjengam, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the British 
and Daulat Rao Sindhia of 
Gwalior, signed in 1803 at the 
close of the second Mahratta 
War. Sindhia ceded to the 
British all his territory between 
the Jumna and the Ganges, all 
north of Jeypur, Jodhpur and 
Gohad, and all between Adjanta 
Ghat and the Godaveri, together 
with the town and district of 



Sistova, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Austria, 
Prussia, and Turkey, signed in 
1 79 1, by which Leopold of 
Austria surrendered all his con- 
quests, in consequence of the 
mediation of Prussia and 
England. By a separate con- 
vention the Porte agreed to 
cede to Austria Old Orsova and 
a small district in Croatia. 

Sitvatorok, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Austria and 



the Porte, signed in 1607. The 
Porte abandoned the tribute 
hitherto paid by Austria, recog- 
nized the Austrian Sovereign as 
Emperor, instead of only King 
of Vienna, as the Turks had 
hitherto styled him, and agreed 
that the future diplomatic inter- 
course should be carried on on a 
footing of equality between the 
two nations. This treaty may 
be said to mark the turning 
■-point in the fortunes of the 
Ottoman Empire. 

Six Acts. 

A series of enactments passed 
in the autumn session of 18 19 to 
strengthen the law against sedi- 
tion, in view of the numerous 
risings of the past few years. 
They were as follows : (i) An 
Act to prevent delay in the ad- 
ministration of justice ; (2) an 
Act to prevent the training of 
persons in the use of arms ; (3) 
an Act for the prevention of 
blasphemy and seditious Ubel ; 
(4) an Act authorizing Justices 
of the Peace to seize and retain 
arms ; (5) an Act subjecting 
certain publications to the news- 
paper stamp duty ; and (6) an 
Act to prevent seditious assem- 
blies. 

Six Articles, Act of the. 

An Act passed in 1539, at the 
instance of the Anti-Reformers 
headed by Norfolk, by which the 
acceptance of six cardinal ar- 
ticles of the Catholic faith was 
made obhgatory under heavy 
penalties. It was repealed by 
an Act passed in 1547, on the 
accession of Edward VI. 

Six Circles. 

By a decree of the Diet of 
Augsburg in 1500, Germany was 
divided into six circles — Bavaria, 



236 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Franconia, The Rhine, Saxony, 
Suabia and Westphalia. 

Six Cities, League of the. 

A league formed in 1346 by 
the German towns of Baut- 
zen, Gorlitz, Kamenz, Lauban, 
Lobau and Zittau for mutual 
protection against the maraud- 
ing barons. 

Six Edicts. 

A series of edicts of a liberal 
character issued by Turgot, the 
minister of Louis XVI in 1776. 
They provided for the suppres- 
sion of ( I ) the Caisse de Poissy ; 
(2) duties on grain in the mar- 
kets ; (3) harbour dues ; (4) 
statutes of apprenticeship and 
incorporation ; (5) the corvee, 
and for (6) the diminution of 
market dues. They met with 
much opposition, and were not 
registered without recourse to a 
Lit de Justice.while they eventu- 
ally led to Turgot's downfall. 

Six Nations. 

The five tribes of North 
American Indians kno^vn as the 
Five Nations admitted into their 
confederacy, in 17 15, the Tus- 
caroras, and were afterwards 
known as the Six Nations. 

Sixpenny War. 

The O.P. riots were so called, 
as being caused by the decision 
of the managers of Covent 
Garden Theatre to raise the 
prices by sixpence. 

Sixteen. 

A society formed about 1584 
by the more violent partisans 
of the League. It was so called 
because its proceedings were di- 
rected by a committee of sixteen, 
each of whom took a district 
of Paris under his special charge. 



Sixteen, Council of. 

A council provided by the 
will of Henry VIII, to act as 
regents until Edward VI came 
of age. They were also called 
the Executors. 

Skanderbeg. 

See Iskander Beg. 

Skinners. 

Bands of American marauders 
who infested the east bank of 
the Hudson during the American 
War of Independence. 

Skirmishing Fund. 

The name given to a fund 
raised by the Fenians about 
1880, for the purpose of pro- 
curing the commission of dyna- 
mite outrages in England. 

Skoptsi. 

A Russian sect of schismatics, 
who practise- self-mutilation. 
They interpret the Scriptures 
literally, and act on the injunc- 
tion: " If thine eye offend thee, 
pluck it out." 

Skuptschina. 

The Servian National As- 
sembly. 

Slachter's Nek, Insurrection of. 

An insurrection of burghers 
in the Graaf-Reinet district of 
Cape Colony in 1815, arising out 
of an attempt to bring a certain 
Jan Bezuidenhoot to justice for 
ill-treating a Kaffir. He and 
his relations and neighbours 
rose against the Government, 
but were overpowered, after a 
short resistance, at Slachter's 
Nek, Bezuidenhoot fled, but 
was killed by his pursuers a few 
days later. Six of the leaders 
were condemned to death, but 
at the execution four of the 
ropes broke. Notwithstanding 
the remonstrances of the spec- 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 237 



tators, who considered this 
to be a Divine intimation of 
their innocence, the sentence 
was duly carried out. This 
execution is still looked upon 
by the Dutch as one of the crimes 
of the British Government. 

Slave Kings. 

The third Dynasty of the 
Mohammedan Kings of India, 
founded by Kutb-ud-Din, the 
favourite slave of Mohammed 
of Ghor, who ruled as Moham- 
med's viceroy from 1186 to 
1206, and on his master's death, 
without issue, ascended the 
throne. The dynasty lasted 
till 1288. 

Slave Trade. 

The trade in slaves was made 
a felony by an Act passed 
in 1807. The Act abolishing 
slavery in the British Domin- 
ions, known as the Emancipa- 
tion Act, was not passed till 
1833. 

Slavery. 

See Abolitionists, Anti-Sla- 
very, Compromise Act, Dred 
Scott, Emancipation, Freesoil- 
ers, Fugitive, Harper's Ferry, 
Kansas, Missouri Compromise, 
Squatter Sovereignty, Under- 
ground Railroad, Wilmot Pro- 
viso. 

Slavophils. 

A band of educated Musco- 
vites who led the reaction 
against the indiscriminate adop- 
tion of Western ideas, and the 
abandonment of ancient Russian 
customs. They were especially 
active about the period of the 
emancipation of the serfs in 
1 861, when the village com- 
munal system was threatened 
by the reforming party. 



Sliding Scale. 

A system of graduated duties 
on imported corn, based upon 
the prices ruling for home-grown 
wheat, first adopted in the Corn 
Law of 1804. 

Smithfield, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the Orange 
Free State and Moshesh, para- 
mount chief of the Basutos 
signed in 1855. It was de- 
signed to prevent friction be- 
tween the Basutos and the 
farmers living along their bor- 
ders, but Moshesh clearly had 
no intention of observing its 
provisions, and took no trouble 
to enforce them on his subjects. 

Snow King. 

A nickname given by the 
Viennese to Gustavus Adolphus 
of Sweden (161 1-32). 

Snow Queen. 

A sobriquet of Christina, 
Queen of Sweden (1633-54). 

Sobranje. 

The Bulgarian National As- 
sembly. 

Societies, Secret. 

See Alumbrados, Barn-burn- 
ers, Boxers, Burschenschaft, 
Camorra, Carbonari, Clan-na- 
Gael, Consistoriali, Danites, 
Fenians, Gran Reunion, Great 
Triad, Hintchak, Human 
Leopards, lUuminati, Invin- 
cibles, Ku Klux, Lautaro, 
Levellers, Mafia, Molly Ma- 
guires. Moonlighters, Mutual- 
ists. Nihilists, Oakboys, Omla- 
dina, Orangemen, Patrons of 
Husbandry, Philike Hetairia, 
Ribbonism, Right, Rock, Sai- 
sons, Sanfedisti. 

Socinians. 

A sect founded by L^lius 



238 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Socinus in 1560, which num- 
bered many adherents in Poland. 
Their doctrines were similar to 
those of the modern Unitarians. 
In 1658 they were proscribed 
by the Diet of Warsaw, and the 
sect gradually faded out of 
existence. 

Soft-shell Democrats. 

The anti-slavery section of the 
Democratic party in New York 
from 1848 to 1854, 

Soissons, Constitution of. 

The earliest existing French 
edict. It had reference to the 
preservation of the public peace, 
and required the consent of the 
great feudal lords, who swore to 
obey it. 

Sokmen. 

In Saxon times, freemen who 
owed suit to the Lord's court, or 
Sok. 

Soldiers' Battle. 

The Battle of Inkerman is so 
called, as having been for the 
most part a series of detached 
combats, in which regiments 
were broken up and officers 
separated from their men, owing 
to the dense fog that prevailed. 

Solemn League and Covenant. 

'.;i|An agreement between Scot- 
land and the Long Parliament 
in 1643, by which the former 
undertook to join forces -with 
the Parliament against Charles I, 
on condition that the Oath of 
the Covenant was taken by the 
English. 

Solid South. 

A phrase used to express the 
consistency of the Southern 
States of America in their sup- 
port of the Democratic Party. 
It appears to have been first 



applied during the presidential 
campaign of 1876. In 1896 
the Solid South showed signs 
of breaking up, four Southern 
States being carried by the 
Republicans. 

Solidite. 

A system of taxation in 
France in the seventeenth cen- 
tury, by which a peasant was 
held responsible for the taxes 
of his neighbours, though he 
might himself have paid all that 
was due from him. 

Solomon of France. 

A sobriquet of Louis IX of 
France (1226-70). 

Son of the Last Man. 

The title given by the Parlia- 
mentarians to Charles II, after 
the execution of his father. 
Charles I, was styled the Last 
Man, as implying that he was 
the last who would sit on the 
English throne. 

Sonderbund. 

See Sarnen, League of. 

Sons of Liberty. 

A society of Americans, pled- 
ged to work for liberty in the 
American colonies, which was 
founded in New York in 1765. 
It derived its name from a 
phrase used by Isaac Barre, 
in a speech in the House of 
Commons during the debate 
on the Stamp Bill in 1765. The 
last achievement of the Society 
was the convening of the Conti- 
nental Congress in 1774. 

Sonthal Revolt. 

A rising of the Sonthal hill- 
men in India in 1855, due to 
dislike of the procedure of the 
courts of justice in enforcing 
the claims of Bengali money- 
lenders. They raided the 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 239 



European stations, and were 
not subdued without consider- 
able difficulty. 

Sound Dues. 

A tax payable to Denmark 
by all foreign ships entering or 
quitting the Baltic. It was 
abolished in 1857. 

South Sea Bubble. 

A scheme professedly for 
trading to the Pacific, originally 
launched in 171 1, In 1720 Sir 
John Blount, one of the direc- 
tors, negotiated an arrangement 
^\dth the Government, by which 
the Company took over the 
National Debt, amounting to 
some sixteen millions, the 
Government paying a lower 
rate of interest than they had 
been pa^dng to the annuitants. 
The Company then persuaded 
the holders of Government 
Annuities to exchange them for 
Shares in the Company. The 
plan was fairly successful, but 
led to a wild inflation in the 
value of the shares, and in the 
subsequent collapse thousands 
were ruined. 

Southampton, Treaty of. 

A treaty of alliance between 
England and Holland, signed 
in 1625, pledging the contracting 
parties to support each other 
against Spain, so long as she 
occupied any part of the Pala- 
tinate, England, however, re- 
served to herself the right to 
claim compensation from Hol- 
land for the massacre of Am- 
boyna. 

Spanish Fury. 

The name given to the sack 
of Antwerp by the Spaniards 
under Sancho d'Avila, in 1576. 
It is estimated that over 7,000 
of the inhabitants perished. 



Spanish Main. 

Properly the mainland be- 
tween the mouth of the Orinoco 
and the Isthmus of Panama, 
but often improperly employed 
to denote the Caribbean Sea. 

Spanish Marriages. 

The question of the marriage 
of Isabella, the young Queen of 
Spain, nearly led to a rupture 
between England and Spain in 
1846. Louis Philippe proposed 
as her husband the Duke of 
Cadiz, believing that such 
marriage would prove unfruitful. 
At the same time the Queen's 
sister, the Infanta, was to be 
married to the Due de Mont- 
pensier, \vith the object of 
eventually placing the Crown of 
Spain on the head of a French 
Prince. Palmerston proposed 
that the second marriage should 
be postponed until the Queen' 
had issue, to which the King 
feigned assent, but meanwhile 
he and his minister, Guizot, 
worked on the Queen Regent to 
consent to the marriages taking 
placing at once, and they were 
duly solemnized, causing great 
indignation in England. 

Spanish Succession, War of the. 
A war arising out of the 
bequest of the Spanish Crown 
to Phihp, Duke of Anjou, in 
1700, by Charles II of Spain, 
who had left no direct heir. 
The Grand Alliance of England, 
Holland and the Empire was 
promptly formed to oppose this, 
while Louis XIV supported his 
grandson. Marlborough's cam- 
paign in Flanders, and the over- 
running of Spain by the Arch- 
duke Charles followed, but in 
171 3 Philip was recognized by 
the AUies as King of Spain, and 
the war ended. 



240 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Specie Circular. 

A circular issued by the 
United States Treasury in 1836, 
directing collectors of revenue to 
accept nothing but coin in 
payment of customs and other 
dues. It caused the bank- 
ruptcy of many well-known 
American business houses. 

Speenhamland Act. 

The name given to a pro- 
clamation issued in 1795 by the 
magistrates of Buckingham- 
shire and some other counties, 
fixing the amount of outdoor 
relief to be afforded according 
to the price of wheat and the 
number of children in the family. 
The practical result in the 
agricultural districts was the 
substitution of relief for wages. 

Spires, Diet of. 

A diet of the German Em- 
pire, held in 1529, which re- 
pealed the Act of Toleration 
passed at the previous Diet. The 
Lutheran Party, headed by the 
Elector of Saxony, the Margrave 
of Brandenburg and the Land- 
grave of Hesse, signed a protest 
against the action of the Diet, 
whence the reforming party 
became known as Protestants. 

Spurs, Battle of the. 

This name is given to two 
battles: (i) The Battle of 
Courtrai, when the Flemings 
defeated the French, July 11, 
1302. It is said that 7,000 
gilt spurs were picked up on the 
field of battle ; (2 ) the Battle of 
Guinegate, where Henry VIII 
defeated the French, August 18, 
1513. The name is derived 
from the headlong flight of the 
French cavalry. 

Squadrone Volante. 

A party under the leadership 



of Tweeddale in the last Scottish 
Parliament (1705), which at- 
tempted to hold the balance 
between the supporters and the 
opponents of union with Eng- 
land. 

Squatter Sovereignty. 

The principle of leaving the 
slavery question to the decision 
of the settlers, first applied 
on the admission to the Union 
as territories of the districts 
acquired from Mexico in 1848. 
It was afterwards extended, in 
defiance of the Missouri Com- 
promise, to Kansas and Ne- 
braska in 1854. 

Stabbing, Statute of. 

An Act passed in the reign of 
James I, by which, for the first 
time in England, it was made 
a capital offence to draw sword 
or dagger on a man whose sword 
was not drawn, if within six 
months he died from wounds 
thus received. The Act was 
passed to put a stop to the con- 
stant brawls between the English 
courtiers and James' Scottish 
followers. 

Stalwarts. 

A section of the Republican 
Party in the United States, led 
by Senator Conkling of New 
York, who were opposed to 
President Garfield in 1881 on 
the question of Civil Service 
Reform. Guiteau, the assassin 
of Garfield, was a Stalwart, and 
gave as his reason for the crime 
that he could see no other way 
to bring about a reunion of the 
Republican Party. 

Stamford, Statute of. 

A statute of reform forced 
upon Edward II by his nobles 
in 1309. It renewed the first 
Statute of Westminster, checked 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 241 



the abuses of constables and 
others exercising the royal au- 
thority, and repealed certain 
unauthorized taxes upon wool 
and hides. 

Stamp Act. 

An Act passed in 1765, for 
the purpose of raising revenue 
from the colonies. It was even 
more unpopular in America 
than the American Customs Act, 
and proved almost impossible 
to enforce. It was repealed in 
1766. 

Standard, Battle of the. 

The name given to the Battle 
of Luton Moor, between the 
English and the Scots in 11 38. 
The standard displayed on this 
occasion was that of St. Cuth- 
bert of Durham, which was 
always thought to secure vic- 
tory. 

Stannaries. 

The tin mines of Cornwall 
are so called. Their adminis- 
tration is in the hands of the 
Warden of the Stannaries, an 
official of the Duchy of Corn- 
wall. The Stannaries are 
technically the property of the 
Crown, and are worked under 
Royal License. 

Staple. 

A term apphed to the chief 
products of England, and also 
to certain towns in Flanders 
where alone these commodities 
were permitted to be sold. 
These transactions were carried 
out under the surveillance of 
Government officers, and it was 
obligatory on the vendor to 
bring back a certain proportion 
of the proceeds of the sale in 
coin. Edward III, however, 
named nine English towns as 
the Staple towns, and made it a 



penal offence for an Englishman 
to carry any of the staple 
commodities beyond the seas. 

Staples, Statute of. 

A statute of 1353, regulating 
foreign trade and the privileges 
of the Merchant Guild. 

Star Chamber, Court of. 

A court established by Henry 
VII in 1487, to check the power 
of the great feudal houses by the 
suppression of maintenance, 
which, by providing them with 
large bodies of armed retainers, 
enabled the more powerful 
nobles to foment disturbances 
and insurrections. Later the 
Star Chamber became an instru- 
ment in the hands of the Sove- 
reign for the suppression of free 
speech, and its arbitrary and 
corrupt decisions became notori- 
ous. It was abolished by Act of 
Parliament in 1641. 

Star of the North. 

A name given to Gustavus 
Adolphus of Sweden by the 
German Protestants during the 
Thirty Years War. 

Stars and Stripes. 

The flag of the United States. 
It consists of thirteen stripes, 
being the number of the original 
States of the Union, and a num- 
ber of stars equal to the number 
of States in the Union for the 
time being, an additional star 
being added for eacn State 
admitted. 

Start, The. 

An excursion of Charles II 
into the Highlands in 1650, with 
the object of escaping from the 
Scottish Presbyterians, of whose 
loyalty he was somewhat doubt- 
ful, and also of raising a force 
in the Highlands to support 

R 



242 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



him, in which he was entirely- 
unsuccessful. 

States-General (France). 

An assembly of the three 
estates of the realm, nobles, 
clergy and commoners, first 
summoned in 1 302 by Philip the 
Fair. 

States-General (Netherlands). 

The general congress of the 
estates of the various prov- 
inces forming the Netherlands. 
Its chief business was financial, 
as through it alone could 
the Sovereign legally obtain 
supplies. 

States' Rights. 

A political doctrine in the 
United States, which maintains 
that the Federal State is not a 
sovereign state, but that its 
acts require ratification by the 
individual States forming the 
Union, who are thus at liberty 
to disregard its enactments if 
they consider them unconstitu- 
tional. Thus South Carolina, 
in 1832, " nullified " an Act of 
Congress relating to import 
duties, and the doctrine was 
held in i860 to justify the 
secession of the Southern States 

Status quo ante. 

A term used to express the 
return after a war to the position 
occupied by the belligerents 
before the war broke out. 

Statutes. 

See Apparel, Apprentices, Car- 
lisle, Donis, Drogheda, Fines, 
Haeretico, Kilkenny, Labourers, 
Liveries, Mercatoribus, Prge- 
munire, Provisors, Quia Emp- 
tores.Rhudlann, Stabbing, Stam- 
ford, Staples, Submission, Tal- 
lagio, Treason, Uses, Wales, 
Westminster, Wills, Winchester. 



Steelboys. 

An Irish agrarian society, 
formed in 1772 in Down and 
Antrim, chiefly on the estates 
of the Marquis of Donegal, 
where there had been wholesale 
evictions. Very serious out- 
rages were perpetrated, and it 
was found necessary to try 
prisoners in Dublin. 

Steelyard, Merchants of the. 

A guild of German merchants 
established in England in the 
fourteenth century. They were 
formed into a guild in order 
that they might be kept under 
Government supervision. 

Stellaland. 

A republic in South Africa, 
formed by a party of Boer 
adventurers who had supported 
Massouw, a Battapin chief, 
against Mankoroane, in 1882. 
Two years later it was annexed 
by Great Britain, and incorpor- 
ated in British Bechuanaland. 

Stockenstrom Treaties. 

A series of treaties made by 
Sir Andries Stockenstrom with 
the Gaika and Fingo chiefs in 
1836, after the sixth Kaffir war, 
by which the boundaries were 
fixed between British territory 
and the Kaffir country. 

Stockholm, Treaty of, 17 19. 

A treaty between Great 
Britain and Sweden, by which 
Sweden surrendered the Duchies 
of Bremen and Verden to 
George I, in return for a pay- 
ment of one million rix-doUars. 

Stockholm, Treaty of, 18 12. 

A treaty between Great 
Britain, Sweden and Russia, 
whereby Sweden undertook to 
provide 30,000 men to act with 
the Russian troops against 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 243 



Napoleon. Great Britain en- 
gaged to pay Sweden a subsidy 
of one million sterling annually, 
to cede to her Guadeloupe, 
receiving in return certain com- 
mercial privileges, and to accede 
to the convention between 
Sweden and Russia, relative 
to the cession of Norway to the 
former Power. 

Stockholm, Treaty of, 1855. 

A treaty signed by Great 
Britain, France, Norway and 
Sweden, by which Sweden un- 
dertook not to cede or make 
any grants of pasturage, fishery 
or any other rights to Russia, 
Great Britain and France agree- 
ing to guarantee Sweden from 
Russian aggression. 

Stolbova, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Russia and 
Sweden, signed in 1617, after 
the successful campaign of Gus- 
tavus Adolphus, By this 
instrument Sweden retained 
possession of Ingermanland, 
Karelia and part of Livonia, 
restoring to Russia the rest of 
her conquests. 

Stonewall Jackson. 

A nickname given to Thomas 
J. Jackson, the Confederate 
General, during the American 
Civil War. 

Storthing. 

The Norwegian Parliament. 
On first assembling, one-fourth 
of the members of the Storthing 
are chosen to form an Upper 
House, known as the Lagthing, 
the remaining three-fourths 
forming the Lower House, or 
Odalsthing. In the event of the 
Lagthing twice rejecting a Bill 
sent up by the Odalsthing, the 
two houses sit together. 



Stranniki. 

A sect of ascetics in Russia, 
which sprang up in the reign of 
Catherine II. They believe the 
Czar to be Antichrist, and are 
opposed to military service, the 
payment of taxes, and any 
recognition of secular authority. 

Strasburg, Oath of. 

The oath of mutual fidelity 
taken by Louis and Charles, 
sons of Louis the Debonnaire, 
and their followers, at Stras- 
burg, in 841. 

Strelitzi. 

A body of regular infantry 
established, to repel the Tartar 
incursions, by Ivan IV (The 
Terrible), circ. 1535. They 

were disbanded and many of 
them killed by Peter the Great 
after their rebellion in 1698. 

Strelitzi, Conspiracy of the. 

A conspiracy of Sophia, half 
sister of Peter the Great, aided 
by the Strelitzi, to murder Peter, 
and rule the State in the name 
of her imbecile brother Ivan, 
in 1689. Peter was warned, 
seized Sophia, and shut her up 
in a convent. 

Strongbow. 

A nickname of Richard de 
Clare, Count of Strigul, who 
became King of Leinster in 
1 170, in succession to Dermot, 
his father-in-law. 

Stundists. 

A Russian dissenting sect, 
who object to the ikon-worship 
of the Orthodox Church. 

Sturm und Drang Zeit. 

The end of the eighteenth 
century, when the French Revo- 
lution had rendered many think- 
ing men discontented with exist- 
ing institutions, was known in 



244 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Germany as the period of 
Storm and Stress. 

Suabian League. 

A league of the cities of 
Suabia formed in 1376, for 
mutual defence against the 
depredations of the Counts of 
Wurtemberg. 

Subinfeudation. 

The practice of making grants 
of land by the holders of here- 
ditary fiefs to sub-vassals, to be 
held on terms similar to those 
on which the grantor held from 
his overlord. This is the real 
origin of the feudal system in its 
fullest development. 

Submission of the Clergy, Statute 
of. 

A Statute passed in 1534, 
embodying an agreement forced 
upon Convocation by Henry 
VIII in 1532. It enacted that 
no new canons should be issued 
without the royal sanction, and 
that the power of summoning 
Convocation should be vested 
in the King, who should also be 
entitled to appoint commis- 
sioners to revise the Canon Law. 

Subsidiary System. 

A system introduced by War- 
ren Hastings in his dealings with 
Oude, and extended by the 
Marquis of Wellesley. Under 
this system native states ac- 
knowledged the paramountcy of 
the British Government, which 
in return guaranteed their in- 
tegrity and independence. They 
were bound not to make war 
without the consent of the 
Government, and undertook to 
maintain a force to be at the 
Government's disposal when 
required. 
Subsidy. 

A tax imposed by Parliament 



in the reign of Charles I to meet 
the King's demands for money. 
It amounted to 4s. in the £ on 
real property, and 2s. 8d. in 
the £ on personalty, aliens and 
Popish recusants paying double. 

Succession, Act of, 1534. 

An Act declaring Henry 
VIII's marriage with Catherine 
of Aragon null and void, and 
setting the succession on the 
issue of his second marriage, 
with Anne Boleyn. 

Succession Act, 1701. 

An Act restricting in certain 
directions the royal prerogative, 
and setthng the succession upon 
the Electress Sophia of Han- 
over. One of its clauses forbade 
the sovereign to leave the king- 
dom, but it was repealed in 
1 7 16, at the instance of George I, 
to enable him to visit Jiis king- 
dom of Hanover. 

Sucker State. 

A name derisively applied to 
the State of Illinois, U.S.A., 
by the inhabitants of other 
Western States. 

Sudras. 

The fourth or servile caste 
of the Hindus. 

Suez Canal Treaty. 

A treaty between England 
and France, signed in 1887, 
guaranteeing the neutrality of 
the Suez Canal. The Canal is 
to be at all times free to the 
ships of all nations, but in war 
time no belligerent is to be 
permitted to land troops or 
munitions of war in the Canal 
or its ports of access. The 
Khedive is charged with the 
carrying out of these stipula- 
tions. Practically all the Powers 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 245 



concerned have given their ad- 
hesion to this instrument. 

Sunni. 

One of the two great Moham- 
medan sects. They accept the 
Sunna, a collection of laws and 
precepts, as well as the Koran. 

Supplicants. 

Those who signed the Suppli- 
cation against the use of Arch- 
bishop Laud's Service Book in 
1637. In 1638, the Supplicants 
having signed the Covenant, 
became known as the Coven- 
anters. 

Supplication of William of 
Orange. 
A letter addressed to Philip 
of Spain by William of Orange 
and the Estates of Holland and 
Zeeland in 1573, demanding the 
restoration of their privileges, 
and the recall of the Duke of 
Alva. 

Suppression of Papacy, Act for 
the. 

One of the Irish Penal Laws, 
passed in 1704. It provided 
that no Catholic could be a 
guardian or trustee, take land 
on a longer lease than thirty- 
one years, or inherit land if 
there were a Protestant heir 
living. It forbade Cathohcs 
settling in Galway or Limerick. 
The Act was in fact a deliberate 
attempt to bribe the younger 
generation of Catholics into 
apostasy. 

Supremacy, Act of. 

An Act passed in 1534, con- 
ferring on Henry VIII the title 
of Supreme Head of the Church 
of England. It was made high 
treason to question the title. 
The provisions of this Act as to 
treason were repealed in the 



reign of Edward VI, and re- 
enacted under Elizabeth. 

Surat, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the British 
and Raghoba, signed in 1775, 
by which it was agreed to sup- 
port Raghoba for the ofi&ce of 
Peshwa, in return for the 
cession of Salsette and Bassein. 

Suspects, Loi des. 

A law passed by the French 
Convention in 1793, declaring 
suspect: (i) aU persons who had 
shown themselves enemies of 
liberty; (2) aU w^ho could not 
show that they had regular 
means of livelihood; (3) those 
who refused to take out certi- 
ficates of civism; (4) all sus- 
pended pubUc functionaries; 
(5) ci-devant nobles and their 
families; and (6) emigres. All 
such persons were to be arrested, 
and kept in confinement at 
their own expense. 

Suttee. 

The ancient Hindu custom 
of burning the widow on the 
pyre with her deceased hus- 
band's body. It was put down 
during the Viceroyalty of 
Lord Dalhousie, circ. 1856. 

Swainmote. 

In early Norman times the 
court of the forest freemen was 
so called. It was arranged 
on the lines of the Shiremote, or 
County Court. 

Swaziland Convention, 1890. 

A convention between Great 
Britain and the Transvaal, 
agreeing to preserve the inde- 
pendence of Swaziland, and to 
appoint a committee of three 
persons, one each to be named 
by the contracting parties and 
one by the Swazis, to rule the 



246 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



white residents. It was further 

stipulated that the Transvaal 

might acquire a railway belt 

through Swaziland, and thence 

through Amatongaland to the 

sea. 

Swaziland Convention, 1893. 

A convention between Great 
Britain and the Transvaal, by 
which it was agreed that, sub- 
ject to the consent of the Queen 
Regent of the Swazis, Swaziland 
should be under the protection 
of the Transvaal. All British 
subjects in Swaziland were to 
be at once admitted to full 
burgher rights in the South 
African Republic. No railway 
was to be built beyond the 
eastern frontier, without the 
consent of Great Britain. 

Swaziland Convention, 1895. 

The Queen of Swaziland 
having refused her consent to 
the Convention of 1893, a 
further convention was made 
similar to that of 1893, but 
omitting the clause requiring 
the Queen's consent. 

Swing, Captain. 

See Barn-burners. 

Sword in Hand Address. 

An address presented to 
Queen Anne, in 17 13, by the 
Highland Chiefs who had been 
the recipients of her gift of 
money, which they seem to have 
looked upon as payment for 
services rendered to the Stuart 
cause. In the address they refer 
to the sacred house of Stuart, 
and express the hope that in 
the Queen's successor they may 
find one who shall obtain " both 
the hereditary and the parlia- 
mentary sanction." 

Szatmar, Peace of. 

The peace concluded in 171 1, 



after Rakoczy's Rebellion. Aus- 
tria granted the Magyars a 
complete amnesty, restoration 
of all forfeited property, and the 
free exercise of the Protestant 
religion. 

Szegedin, Peace of. 

The peace which ended in 
1444 the invasion of the Turkish 
dominions by Hunyadi Janos of 
Hungary, and George, Despot 
of Servia, who penetrated as far 
as the Balkans. The Sultan 
Amurath restored Servia to 
George, against payment of a 
tribute of half the revenue of 
the State, and placed Wallachia 
under the protection of Hun- 
gary. 

Szell Formula. 

See Ausgleich. 



Taal. 

The corrupt form of Dutch 
spoken in the Dutch portions of 
South Africa. Its corruption 
is due principally to the large 
proportion of foreigners among 
the early immigrants, and to 
their intercourse with the native 



Tables, The. 

A board or committee estab- 
lished in Scotland in 1637, 
chosen by the Supplicants with 
the object of bringing about an 
agreement between Archbishop 
Laud and the Presbyterians. 
It consisted of four members of 
each of the four classes : nobles, 
lesser barons, burgesses and 
clergy. 

Taborites. 

The Hussites under John 
Zisca were so called, from the 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 247 



name he gave their stronghold — 
Tabor, a camp or tent. 

Tackers. 

A section of the extreme 
Tories in 1704, who were anxious 
to secure the passage of the 
Occasional Conformity Bill 
through the Lords by tacking 
it on to the Land Tax Bill, 
which the Lords could not reject 
without stopping supplies. They 
were unsuccessful, however, in 
carrying their point. 

Taeping Rebellion. 

A rebelhon under Hung Hsiu 
Chwan, which broke out in the 
province of Canton in 1851. 
The rebels marched northward, 
and after capturing Nanking, 
established their headquarters 
there in 1853. They then in- 
vaded Honan, Shansi and Chihli, 
but were driven back. They 
held out, however, against the 
Imperial troops until 1864, when 
Nanking was captured by Gene- 
ral Gordon, and the rebellion 
was finally suppressed in the 
following year, 

Tafna, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the French 
and Abd-el-Kader, the Algerian 
chief, signed in 1847, and as- 
suring the French domination 
in Algeria. 

Tahiti Question. 

A serious difficulty which 
arose between Great Britain 
and France in 1844, owing to 
the action of the French in 
arresting Mr. Pritchard, a mis- 
sionary, who was the British 
Consul in Tahiti, and was very 
obnoxious to the Roman Catho- 
lics. He was only released on 
his undertaking to leave the 
Pacific. Great indignation was 
felt in England at this outrage, 



but after lengthy negotiations 
the matter was smoothed over, 
and compensation given to 
Mr. Pritchard. 

Taille. 

A tax levied in France on the 
produce of the soil, paid exclu- 
sively by the cultivator, the 
landowner being exempt. It 
was aboHshed in 1791. 

Taille. 

A method of warfare intro- 
duced by the Archbishop of 
Bordeaux in 1228, in his attempt 
to bring to terms Count Ray- 
mond of Toulouse. It con- 
sisted in the systematic cutting 
down of vines and fruit trees, 
and the destruction of houses 
and enclosures. 

Tallage. 

That portion of the feudal 
dues levied by the Norman 
Kings which was paid by the 
towns. Its arbitrary exaction 
was held to be illegal in the 
reign of Edward I. 

Tallagio non Concedendo, Statute 
de. 

A Statute passed in 1297, 
declaring the exaction of tal- 
lages illegal. 

Talukdar. 

An hereditary contractor for 
land revenue in Oude. The 
Talukdar collected rents over 
a certain district, and paid the 
taxes for the district to the 
Government. He often had no 
proprietary right whatever in 
the land. By the new land 
system introduced into Oude 
by Lord Dalhousie in 1856, 
under which the British Govern- 
ment entered into direct rela- 
tions with the villages, most of 
the Talukdars were dispossessed. 



248 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



and much discontent was occa- 
sioned thereby. 

Tammany Ring. 

The Democratic party in 
New York City, who have for 
years kept the absolute control 
of public affairs in the city. 
As a party organization it grew 
out of the Tammany Society, 
an organization founded in 1805, 
ostensibly as a charitable insti- 
tution, and for the promotion 
of an extended franchise. In 
1 87 1 the connexion of its leaders 
with the notorious Erie Ring 
led to a crusade against the 
party, headed by the New York 
Times, and an inquiry disclosed 
wholesale jobbery and corrup- 
tion in the administration. As 
a consequence Tammany was 
totally defeated at the polls in 
1872, but returned to of&ce at 
the following election, and re- 
mained in power until 1902, 
when they were again driven 
from office. 

Tamworth Manifesto. 

A statement of policy issued 
by Sir Robert Peel in 1835, 
after the dismissal of the Mel- 
bourne Ministry. It promised 
considerable concessions to the 
Dissenters, and was in many 
respects a departure from the 
old Toryism, and a recognition 
of the necessity for reform along 
cautious lines. Those who fol- 
lowed Sir Robert Peel in his 
new departure were known as 
Peelites. 
Tanistry. 

The ancient law of succession 
in Ireland, by which the chief- 
tainship of a sept descended 
to the eldest and most worthy 
of the same blood. 
Targowitz, Confederation of. 

A confederation of Polish 



nobles formed in 1792, under 
the auspices of Catherine of 
Russia, to oppose the new con- 
stitution established in 1791, 
and to promote a return to the 
old order of things. They com- 
pelled Stanislas Augustus to 
give way and abrogate the 1791 
constitution. 

Tartar Invasion. 

The invasion of Russia by 
the Tartars under Genghis Khan 
in 1237. They overran Russia 
up to the Carpathians, burning 
the chief towns, and carrying 
off the inhabitants as slaves. 
After subjugating the country, 
the Tartars contented them- 
selves with demanding an oath 
of allegiance and a tribute from 
the Russian Princes, allowing 
the free exercise of the Christian 
religion, and interfering in no 
way with the institutions and 
customs of the country. 

Tattooed Man. 

A nickname of James G. 
Blaine, derived from a political 
caricature, in which he was re- 
presented as Phryne before 
her judges, tattooed with the 
names of the various scandals 
with which his name had been 
connected. 

Tchinovniks. 

The holders of Russian official 
appointments. They are mainly 
drawn from the ranks of the 
nobles and the clergy, and in 
particular from certain noble 
families, who may be said to be 
the real rulers of Russia. There 
are fourteen classes of officials , 
which classes are called 
" Tchins." Every official, what- 
ever his birth, has to enter in 
the lowest Tchin, and promotion 
is nominally by merit only. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 249 



Tea- Party. 

The Boston tea riots are so 
called. 

Tea-room Party. 

A party of advanced Radicals 
who opposed Mr. Gladstone's 
amendment to Lord Derby's 
Reform Bill of 1867. This 
amendment would have re- 
stricted the borough franchise 
to those occupiers whose nam.es 
were on the rate book, but would 
have drawn a line of value 
below which no house should be 
rated. This small party not 
only defeated Mr. Gladstone, 
but succeeded in forcing upon 
the Government household fran- 
chise pure and simple. 

Temperance, Apostle of. 

The name given to Father 
Mathew, the Irish Temperance 
advocate, circ. 1838. 

Templars, Knights. 

An order of knighthood estab- 
lished in Palestine in 11 18, and 
confirmed by Honorius II in 
1 128. Its functions were the 
protection of pilgrims to the 
Holy Sepulchre, and its head- 
quarters were on the site of 
Solomon's Temple. During the 
thirteenth century, the order, 
which had become very power- 
ful, and spread widely over 
Europe, was accused of heresy 
and other crimes, and was pro- 
scribed by Clement V in 13 12, 
and its property confiscated. 

Ten Articles. 

A profession of the Protestant 
Doctrine as then held in England 
drawn up by a Convocation held 
in 1536, and based upon the 
Confession of Augsburg. 

Ten, Council of. 

The Supreme Council of 



Venice, established in 13 10. It 
really consisted of seventeen 
members, as to the ten were 
added the Doge and his six 
councillors. It controlled the 
magistracy and the senate, and 
had charge of the foreign rela- 
tions of the Republic. It is, 
however, best known as an arbi- 
trary secret tribunal, trying 
and condemning for all classes 
of offences against the laws and 
the State, without appeal. 

Ten Jurisdictions, League of the. 
A league formed in the eastern 
part of Rhaetia in 1436, in the 
territories of the Counts of 
Toggenburg. It afterwards 
amalgamated with the Grau- 
bund and the Gotteshausbund. 

Ten Minutes Bill. 

The Reform Bill of 1867, as 
first introduced, is so called. 
At a Cabinet Council held on the 
day that Mr. Disraeli was to 
introduce the Bill, it was found 
that Ministers were not in agree- 
ment, and there were only ten 
minutes left to decide what was 
to be done. It happened that 
a Bill had been prepared, pro- 
posing a milder measure of 
reform, and this it was decided 
to introduce. It met with little 
approval from any section, and 
was ultimately withdrawn in 
favour of the original Bill. 
The story was some time after- 
wards told by Sir John Paking- 
ton to his constituents, and the 
makeshift Bill was promptly 
christened the Ten Minutes 
Bill. 

Tenmannetale. 

The name by which the sys- 
tem of Frankpledge was known 
in the northern parts of Eng- 
land. 



250 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Tenth of August, Massacre of 
the. 
The massacre of the Swiss 
Guards at the Tuileries, on 
August lo, 1792, is known by 
this name. It is estimated that 
5,000 persons perished at the 
hands of the Paris mob. 

Tenure of Office Act. 

An Act passed by the United 
States Congress in 1867, to pre- 
vent the removal from office by 
the President, without the con- 
sent of the Senate, of any person 
holding a Government position. 
It was enacted in consequence 
of the action of President John- 
son in removing Mr. Stanton 
in what was held to be an un- 
constitutional manner. 

Teplitz, Treaty of. 

A treaty of alliance between 
Russia, Austria and Prussia, 
signed in 181 3, and directed 
against Napoleon. 

Terreur Blanche. 

The name of the White 
Terror was given to the excesses 
of the counter-revolutionists in 
the French provinces, especially 
in the South, in 1795, after the 
fall of Robespierre. 

Terror, Reign of. 

The culmination of the French 
Revolution, lasting from the 
fall of the Girondins, in October 
1793. to that of Robespierre, in 
July 1794. During this period 
the only limit to the number of 
executions was the time at the 
disposal of Fouquier-Tinville 
and the Revolutionary Tribunal 
for the trial of prisoners. 

Terrorists. 

The extreme revolutionary 
party in Paris in 1848. They 
demanded, not work, but the 



spoliation of the rich, and were 
prepared to adopt the methods 
of 1793 to secure their object. 
They attempted to coerce and 
dissolve the National Assembly, 
and set up a Revolutionary 
Government at the Hotel de 
Ville, but were overpowered 
by the Garde Mobile. 

Terry Alts. 

An Irish rebel society which 
was guilty of numerous out- 
rages in Clare during the years 
immediately following the 
Union. 

Teschen, Peace of. 

A treaty signed at the con- 
clusion of the Bavarian War of 
Succession in 1779, by which 
Austria withdrew her opposi- 
tion to the reunion of Anspach 
and Bayreuth with Prussia. 
Certain territorial changes were 
made in Bavaria, and the Treaty 
of Westphalia was renewed. 

Teshu Lama. 

The second spiritual ruler of 
Thibet, who exercises the func- 
tions of the Dalai Lama between 
the death of one occupant of 
that position and the enthrone- 
ment of his successor. 

Test Act. 

An Act passed in 1673, ordain- 
ing that all holders of temporal 
offices under the Crown must 
receive the Sacrament according 
to the rites of the Church of 
England, and renounce the 
doctrine of Transubstantiation. 
James II endeavoured to bring 
about its repeal, but without 
success, and it remained on the 
Statute Book till 1828. 

Tetrapolitan Confession. 

The profession of faith of the 
Reformed Non-Lutheran Ger- 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 251 



man Church, drawn up by 
Bucer, and issued in 1530. 

Teutonic Knights. 

An order of knighthood 
founded by Henry, King of 
Jerusalem, during the third 
Crusade, its original members 
being followers of Frederick 
Barbarossa. In 1230, under 
their Grand Master, Hermann 
von Salza, the Teutonic knights 
marched against the Pagans of 
the Baltic shore of what is now 
known as Prussia. This country, 
which was a fief of Poland, they 
held until 1526, when Albert of 
Brandenburg, then Grand 
Master, made a treaty with 
Sigismund of Poland, by which 
Prussia was erected into a 
Grand Duchy, with Albert as 
Grand Duke. The order was 
dissolved by Napoleon in 1809. 

Thaba Bosigo, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the Orange 
Free State and Moshesh, signed 
in 1866, after the Basuto war 
of 1865-6. Moshesh surrendered 
the greater portion of his country 
to the Free State, and undertook 
to withdraw all his subjects 
from the ceded territory. He 
not only failed to carry out the 
terms, but in the following years 
sent large bodies of warriors 
into these districts, and pre- 
vented their settlement by 
Europeans. 

Theatins. 

A monastic order, founded by 
John Caraffa, Bishop of Theate 
(afterwards Paul IV), and au- 
thorised by Clement V in 1524. 
The Theatins were strong sup- 
porters of the movement for the 
reform of the Papacy which 
arose within the Church about 



the middle of the sixteenth 
century. 

Thegns. 

In Saxon times the thegns 
were originally the King's ser- 
vants. Later, enriched by 
grants of land, they superseded 
the old nobility, and became 
eventually the Barons. 

Thelusson's Act. 

An Act passed in 1800, by 
which it was made illegal to 
devise property to accumulate 
for a longer period than twenty- 
one years. It arose from the 
will of Peter Thelusson, a 
wealthy merchant, who left 
^800,000 to accumulate until 
his grandson's grandson reached 
the age of twenty-one. The 
will led to protracted litigation, 
and the resulting accumulation 
was consequently much less 
than had been anticipated. 

Theological Controversy. 

An assembly of Catholic and 
Protestant divines, held at 
Westminster in 1559, to discuss 
certain points of dogma and 
ritual. The questions set for dis- 
cussion were : the use of prayer in 
a tongue not understood by the 
people, the right of individual 
congregations to alter their 
ritual to suit their needs, and 
the propitiatory sacrifice for the 
quick and the dead in the cele- 
bration of the Mass. No deci- 
sion was arrived at on any 
point. 

Theows. 

In Saxon times the slaves of 
the feudal lords, reduced to the 
servile condition either as prison- 
ers of war, or through debt. 

Thermidoriens. 

The party who voted the de- 



252 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



cree of accusation against Robes- 
pierre and his followers in 
July (Thermidor) 1794. During 
the Directoire they still showed 
themselves advanced Republi- 
cans, being in favour of main- 
taining the decrees against the 
clergy, the noblesse and the 
emigres. 

Thing. 

Amongst the Norsemen, the 
assembly of freemen. The 
Things were of varying import- 
ance, and bore different names, 
according to the purpose for 
which they were convoked. 
Thus, the Althing was the 
general assembly of the nation, 
held annually ; the Konungs- 
thing, a meeting specially sum- 
moned by the King ; and so on 
down to the Husthing, a meeting 
of his own men summoned by 
any petty chief, 

Thingamen. 

Another name for the House- 
karls of King Knut, 

Third Section. 

A section of the Russian 
secret police, specially estab- 
lished to watch all political 
movements. It was formed by 
Nicholas I in 1865. 

Thirteen Cantons, Confederation 
of. 
The Confederation formed by 
the admission, between 148 1 
and 1 5 13, of the Cantons of Fri- 
bourg, Soleure, Basle, Schaff- 
hausen and Appenzell, into the 
Perpetual League. 

Thirteen States. 

The thirteen American 
colonies forming the original 
thirteen States of the Union 
were Connecticut, Delaware, 
Georgia, Maryland, Massa- 



chusetts, New Hampshire, New 
Jersey, iSTew York, North Caro- 
lina, Pennsylvania, Rhode 
Island, South Carolina and 
Virginia, 

Thirty, Battle of the. 

A combat between the fol- 
lowers of Simon de Montfort 
and those of Charles of Blois, 
fought at Ploermel in Brittany 
in 1350. The combatants 

were limited to thirty on each 
side, and the English were de- 
feated. 

Thirty Years War. 

A war between Ferdinand II 
and the Protestant Princes of 
Germany, which broke out on 
the accession of Ferdinand to 
the Austrian throne in 161 9. 
The Protestant Princes had 
elected to the Imperial Throne 
Frederic V, the Elector Pala- 
tine, and took up arms in his 
support. Sweden under Gus- 
tavus Adolphus, and later 
France, were drawn into the 
conflict, and the war did not 
terminate till 1648, when Fer- 
dinand III signed the Treaty of 
Westphalia, 

Thirty-nine Articles. 

The articles of faith of the 
Church of England, consisting 
of thirty-nine of the original 
forty- two articles issued in 1552. 
By an Act of Elizabeth passed 
in 1 57 1, the acceptance of these 
was made incumbent on all the 
clergy of the Established 
Church. 

Thirty-six, Council of. 

A council appointed in 1357 
to carry on the Government 
of France during the captivity 
of John. They had power to 
levy taxes, to appoint the chief 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 253 



officers of State, and generally 
to exercise all executive func- 
tions. 

Thirty-three Articles. 

A code of laws drawn up by 
the Volksraad of Potchefs- 
troom in 1844, and adopted in 
1849 by all the communities 
established to the north of the 
Vaal river. 

Thistle, Order of the. 

An order of knighthood in- 
stituted, according to tradition, 
by Archaicus, King of the 
Scots in 809. Though thus older 
than the Garter in its origin, 
it has been several times in 
abeyance, having been revived 
by James V of Scotland, by 
James II of England, and finally 
by Queen Anne, who placed it 
on its present footing. 

Thorn, Conference of. 

A conference summoned by 
Ladislaus IV of Poland in 1645, 
in an endeavour to unite the 
Protestants to the Catholic 
Church. It lasted about four 
months, and was entirely with- 
out result. 

Thorough. 

The Policy of Thorough is the 
phrase used by Strafiord and 
Laud to express their deter- 
mination to carry through their 
schemes for the public advan- 
tage, regardless of the obstacles 
thrown in their way by in- 
terested parties. 

Thralls. 

Among the Norse nations 
slaves were so called. They 
were generally captives taken 
in war. 

" Three Acres and a Cow." 

A phrase used by Mr. Jesse 
CoUings, in the election cam- 



paign of 1885, expressive of the 
plank in his programme of free 
allotments of land for all agri- 
cultural labourers. 

Three Emperors, Battle of the. 

The battle of Austerlitz, 
December 2, 1805, is so called, 
because Napoleon and the Em- 
perors of Austria and Russia 
were aU present. 

Three F's. 

The ostensible programme of 
the Irish Land League in 1880 : 
Fixity of Tenure, Fair Rent, 
Free Sale. 

Three Kings, Alliance of the. 

An alliance formed in 1849 
between the Kings of Prussia, 
Hanover, and Saxony, to take 
joint measures for the sup- 
pression of the disorders rife 
in their States at that time. 

Thresher, Captain. 

The pseudonym of the leader 
of a band of lawless Irishmen, 
who in 1806 attacked the 
collectors of tithes. 

Throgmorton's Conspiracy. 

A conspiracy of certain Jesuits 
and English Catholics in 1583, 
to rise against Queen Elizabeth, 
in conjunction with an invasion 
of French and Spanish troops. 
Suspicion was aroused by Throg- 
morton's constant visits to the 
Spanish Ambassador. He was 
arrested, and under torture 
revealed the details of the plot, 
and the names of the principal 
conspirators. 

Thugs. 

A quasi-religious sect of rob- 
bers and murderers in India, 
who despatched their victims by 
stranghng. They were put 
down by Lord Dalhousie about 
1856. 



254 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Thunderbolt of Italy. 

The sobriquet of Gaston de 
Foix, Due de Nemours (1489- 
15 12), given him on account of 
his brilliant campaign in Italy. 

Thurn and Taxis. 

A princely house of Germany, 
with large estates in Austria, 
Bavaria, Wurtemberg, and else- 
where, who established the 
earliest postal system in Ger- 
many in 1460. In 1595 a 
member of the house was ap- 
pointed hereditary grand master 
of the posts of the Empire, and 
though the privileges of the 
ofhce were gradually infringed 
by the larger German States, 
the monopoly was not finally 
abolished till 1867. 

Tiberine Republic. 

A republic with Rome as its 
capital, established by Napo- 
leon in Central Italy in 1797. 

Tichborne Case. 
See Claimant. 

Tientsin, Treaty of, 1858. 

A treaty between Great 
Britain, France and China, at 
the close of the war of 1857, 
providing for the establishment 
of Chinese Legations in London 
and Paris, and French and 
English Legations in Pekin, the 
toleration of Christianity in 
China, and access to the interior 
of China and to the navigable 
rivers for British and French 
subjects. In i860 the envoys 
proceeding to Pekin to exchange 
ratifications were not permitted 
to proceed. Further hostilities 
ensued, and certain European 
prisoners were barbarously tor- 
tured by the Chinese, in revenge 
for which the Allies destroyed 
the Summer Palace of Pekin. 



Tientsin, Treaty of, 1885. 

A treaty between France and 
China, by which China with- 
drew her claim to exercise a 
protectorate over Annam. 

Tiepoli, Conspiracy of. 

" A conspiracy of Venetian 
nobles, headed by Tiepoli and 
the family of the Querini, 
against Gradenigo, the Doge 
of Venice, in 13 10. The con- 
spirators enlisted the aid of the 
Paduans, and formed a plan to 
seize the Doge in the Ducal 
Palace by means of their own 
armed retainers, holding the 
Square of St. Mark till the 
arrival of the Paduans. The 
plan miscarried, owing to the 
vigilance of the Doge, who was 
prepared for the attack, and 
the conspiracy failed. Many of 
the leaders were killed in the 
fighting, and others were exe- 
cuted, but Tiepoli escaped. 

Tiers Etat. 

The third estate of the Realm, 
or Commoners, in France. It is 
held that they were first con- 
sulted by Louis IX, who s-um- 
moned twelve citizens from the 
principal towns of France, to 
advise him on the national 
coinage. 

Tiers Parti. 

A moderate party formed in 
the French Assembly in 1832, 
in the reign of Louis Philippe. 
In 1834 they formed a ministry 
under the Due de Bassano, but 
the Chamber refused to support 
it, and it resigned in three days. 
In 1836, however, it formed a 
more durable administration 
under Thiers. 

Tilsit, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1807 be- 
tween France, Prussia and 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 255 



France all her provinces on 
the left bank of the Elbe, to 
form the kingdom of West- 
phalia for the benefit of Jerome 
Buonaparte. In addition, recog- 
nition was accorded to Louis 
Buonaparte as King of Holland, 
to Joseph as King of Spain, and 
to the Confederation of the 
Rhine. The Grand Duchy of 
Warsaw was created out of the 
Duchies of Warsaw and Posen, 
and given to the King of 
Saxony. There were certain 
secret clauses in the treaty 
between France and Russia, by 
which Russia agreed to aid 
France against England and to 
coerce Portugal, Sweden and 
Denmark to take the same 
course, while France undertook 
to aid Russia against the Turks 
if the Porte declined to accept 
his mediation. 

Tio Porsupuesto, El. 

The nickname of Bolivar, the 
Liberator of South America, 
from his habit of beginning an 
argument with the words " Por 
supuesto," " Let us suppose." 

Tithe Commutation Act. 

An Act passed in 1836, com- 
muting the tithe into a perman- 
ent rent charge upon the land, 
annually adjusted upon the 
price of corn, and redeemable 
at twenty-five years' purchase 
of the average amount. 

Tithe Commutation Act (Ire- 
land). 
An Act passed in 1838, com- 
muting the tithe into an annual 
rent charge, with a reduction of 
25 per cent. At the same time 
the loan of one million sterling 
made in 1833 in aid of the 
destitute Irish Clergy, was con- 
verted into a gift. 



Tithe Riots. 

A series of disturbances in 
Montgomeryshire and elsewhere 
in North Wales in protest against 
the payment of tithes in 1887. 
Riots were caused by sales 
under distraint in various parts 
of Wales, and for some time 
such sales could only be carried 
out under military protection. 

Togakuto. 

The Society of Oriental Learn- 
ing, a party in Korea violently 
opposed to Western ideas, and 
anxious to exclude all foreigners. 
In 1893 some 200,000 members 
gathered in Seoul, with the 
object of coercing the King, 
who had refused their pre- 
posterous demands. 

Toisee. 

An order issued by Emery, 
finance minister of Louis XIV, 
in 1644, to the effect that houses 
built in the Paris suburbs in 
contravention of an edict issued 
a hundred years before, but never 
enforced, should be redeemed 
by payment of a heavy fine. 
This order caused great dis- 
content, and was eventually 
withdrawn. 

Tokoli's Rebellion. 

A rising of the Magyars 
against Austrian domination in 
1678, headed by TokoU, who, 
aided by the Turks, succeeded 
in driving the Austrian troops 
out of Hungary. He maintained 
his position until 1683, when he 
was defeated, and the Turks 
being at the same time repulsed 
from Vienna, the rising came 
to an end, and Tokoli was 
forced to flee the country. 

Toledo, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1538 after 
Russia. Prussia abandoned to 



256 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Francis' invasion of Piedmont, 
by Charles V and Francis I, 
by which Francis obtained 
possession of Bresse, Savoy, 
and half of Piedmont, Charles 
taking the remainder of Pied- 
mont and the Milanese. The 
Pays de Vaud was left to Berne, 
and the independence of Geneva 
guaranteed. 

Tolentino, Treaty of. 

A treaty between France and 
the Papal See, signed in 1797. 
By this treaty the Pope sur- 
rendered the Legations and 
Ancona, and agreed to the final 
inclusion of Avignon in France. 
He also consented to pay a 
heavy sum in coin and jewels 
and to permit the removal to 
France of certain specified works 
of art. In return France recog- 
nized the Pope's power to con- 
trol the religious communities 
in Rome. 

Toleration Acts. 

An Act passed on the accession 
of William and Mary in 1689, 
giving Protestant Dissenters the 
right to hold services in their 
own chapels, provided such 
chapels were registered. A fur- 
ther Act applying to Scotland 
was passed in 17 12 for the 
toleration of all episcopal clergy- 
men who were willing to take 
the Oath of Abjuration estab- 
lished by the Act of 1702. 

Tonkinois, Le. 

A nickname of Jules Ferry, 
referring to his responsibility 
for the unpopular Tongking ex- 
pedition of 1883. 

Tonnage and Poundage. 

A tax levied on all mer- 
chandise other than the staple 
commodities, whether exported 
or imported. It varied from 



IS. 6d. to 3s. on every tun of 
wine or beer, and from 6d. to is. 
on every pound of merchandise. 
It was first levied in the reign 
of Edward III. 

Toom Tabard. 

Empty Jacket, the nickname 
of John Baliol, King of Scotland 
(1292-1314), because he had 
the semblance but not the 
reality of royal power. 

Tordesillas, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Spain and 
Portugal, signed in 1494. Portu- 
gal being dissatisfied with the 
terms of the Papal Bull of 
Demarcation, Spain agreed to 
the dividing line between the 
two spheres of colonisation being 
drawn 370 leagues west of Cape 
Verde. Under the terms of this 
treaty Portugal subsequently 
claimed Brazil. 

Torgau, League of. 

A league formed at Torgau 
in 1526 by the Protestant 
Princes of Germany, headed by 
the Landgrave of Hesse and the 
Elector of Saxony, as a counter 
move to the reported combina- 
tion of Duke George of Saxony, 
the Elector of Brandenburg, 
the Archbishop of Mentz and 
other Catholic Princes to oppose 
the Reformation. 

Torres Vedras, Lines of. 

The strongly intrenched posi- 
tion in front of Lisbon, occupied 
by Wellington during the winter 
of 1810-11, after the fall of 
Ciudad Rodrigo. 

Tory. 

The name given to the Loyal- 
ist Party in the reign of 
Charles II. It is taken from 
the name applied to the Irish 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 257 



outlaws. The word now implies 
extreme Conservatism. 

Tory Democracy. 

The political creed of Lord 
Randolph Churchill and his 
followers. He maintained that 
Toryism was not necessarily 
the creed of an exclusive class, 
but was as democratic in its aims 
as Radicalism. 

Toshachs. 

In the earliest days of Scottish 
history, an inferior grade of 
chieftain in the Highlands. 

Tourkmantchai, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Russia and 
Persia, signed in 1828, by which 
Persia ceded Erivan and Nakit- 
chevan, and accorded excep- 
tional commercial facilities to 
Russian sub j ects . 

Tours, Edict of. 

An edict issued by Henri IV 
in 1 591, repealing the edicts 
of his predecessor with respect 
tD the Huguenots, and re-estab- 
lishing the Concordat between 
the two religions contained in 
the Edict of January. 

Tractarian Movement. 
See Oxford Movement. 

Trade Unions. 

Combinations of workmen in 
a particular trade, formed for 
mutual protection against ra- 
pacious employers, and also as 
benefit societies. They are 
mostly the growth of the nine- 
teenth century, but have their 
origin in the trade guilds of the 
earlier times. 

Trafalgar Square Riots. 

A series of disturbances in 
London in 1887. Meetings, 

nominally of unemployed, were 
held in Trafalgar Square, and 



addressed by well-known Social- 
ist leaders, among others John 
Burns and Cunningham - 
Grahame. As these meetings 
led to disorder and obstruction 
of the traffic, they were pro- 
hibited by Sir Charles Warren, 
the Chief Commissioner of 
Police. The Socialists insisted 
on their right to hold the meet- 
ings, and the disturbances cul- 
minated on Sunday, November 
13th, when a number of proces- 
sions on their way to the Square 
were broken up by the police, 
and their leaders arrested, severe 
fighting taking place at several 
points. This, however, ended 
the rioting, as no further at- 
tempts were made to hold the 
prohibited meetings. 

Trails-batons. 

Outlaws who in 1305 infested 
the country districts of England, 
hiring themselves out for the 
execution of private vengeance. 
Stringent measures were taken 
against them under the Statute 
of Winchester. 

Train-bands. 

Properly the Trained Bands, 
a force in the nature of a militia, 
established by James I in 1604, 
to replace the Fyrd. They 
numbered 160,000. 

Transplantation, Irish. 

By an Act of Parliament 
passed in 1653, the whole of 
Ireland, excepting Connaught 
and the county of Clare, was 
opened for settlement by ad- 
venturers and the soldiers of the 
Commonwealth. The whole of 
the Irish population was trans- 
planted to the province and 
county named above. 

Transvaal National Union. 
An association of the Uit- 
s 



258 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



landers in the South African 
Republic, formed in Johannes- 
burg in 1892, with the object 
of securing the franchise and 
reforms in general for foreigners 
settled in the country. In 

December 1895 it took the name 
of the Reform Committee, and 
was largely instrumental in 
bringing about the Jameson 
Raid, which took place at the 
end of that month, though it 
seems evident that the actual 
moment chosen for the Raid did 
not accord with its plans. After 
Jameson's defeat the leaders of 
the Committee were arrested 
and tried for -treason, four of 
them being sentenced to death, 
though they were afterwards 
reprieved. 

Treason, Statute of. 

A Statute of Edward III, in 
1352, which defines high treason 
as plotting the death of the King 
or Queen, or their eldest son, 
levying war against the King, or 
comforting or adhering to his 
enemies. This Statute is still 
in force. 

Treaties, Conventions, Alliances, 
etc. 

See Abbeville, Abo, Adam Kok, 
Adis Ababa, Adrianople, Aigun, 
Aix-la-Chapelle, Akerman, Alas- 
ka, Aliwal North, Amboise, 
American-Japanese, American- 
Spanish, Amiens, Anglo-Chinese, 
Anglo-Dutch, Anglo - French, 
Anglo - German, Anglo - Italian, 
Anglo - Japanese, Anglo - Portu- 
guese, Anglo - Russian, Arras, 
Ashburton, Association, Barce- 
lona, Bardo, Barrier, Barwalde, 
Basle, Bassein, Bekcagsog, Bel- 
gian, Berlin, Berwick, Black Sea, 
Bloemfontein, Bond - Blaine, 
Breda, Breslau, Bretigny, 
Brigham, Bromsebro, Brunnen, 



Brussels, Bucharest, Budchaz, 
Cadan, Caen, Campo-Formio, 
Cappel, Carlowitz, Cassini, 
Cateau Cambresis, Chartres, 
Chaumont, Christian, Cintra, 
Clair-on-Epte, Clayton-Bulwer. 
Closter Seven, Commercial, Con- 
federation, Conflans, Constance, 
Cretan, Crown, Cyprus, Darda- 
nelles, Deogam, Dover, Dreikai- 
serbund, Dual, Edinburgh, 
Evora, Falczi, Falaise, Family, 
Ferdinand, Field, Fisheries, 
Folenbray, Fommanah, Fon- 
tainebleau, Franco- American, 
Franco-Annamese, Franco- 

Siamese, Frankfort, Fredericks- 
hamm, Gandamak, Gastein, 
Geneva, Ghent, Gisors, Grand 
Alliance, Great Intercourse, 
Guadeloupe-Hidalgo, Gulistan, 
Hanover, Hay-Pauncefote, Holy 
Alliance, Hubertsberg, Hue, 
Iglau, Imparani, Jassy, Join- 
ville. Jay, July, Kenil worth, 
Kiel, Kuldja, Kutchuk Kain- 
ardji, Lahore, Lambeth, Lodi, 
London, Longjumeau, Liibeck, 
Loo, Luneville, Luxemburg, Ma- 
dras, Madrid, Malus Intercursus, 
Mandeshwar, Mangalore, Man- 
tua, Meersen, Methuen, Mol- 
davian, Mon9on, Montpelier, 
Nanking, Nertchinsk, Newport, 
Nimeguen, Northampton, Not- 
tingham, Nystad, Olmiitz, 
Oregon, Paix, Panama, Paris, 
Passau, Passarowitz, Peace, 
Pecquigny, Peronne, Perpetual, 
Pilnitz, Poland, Prague, Pres- 
burg, Pretoria, Pruth, Puran- 
dhar, Pyrenees, Quadrilateral, 
Quadruple, Reichenbach, Re- 
insurance, Roeskild, Russo- 
Japanese, Ryswick, St. Ger- 
mains, St. Petersburg, Salbai, 
Samoan, San Ildefonso, San 
Stefano, Sand River, Santiago, 
Schonbrunn, Secret, September, 
Seringapatam, Servian, Seville, 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 259 



Shimonoseki, Sikkim, Sitvato- 
rok, Smithfield, Southampton, 
Stockenstrom, Stockholm, Stol- 
bova, Suez, Surat, Swaziland, 
Szatmar, Szegedin, Teplitz, Tes- 
chen, ThabaBosigo, Three Kings, 
Tientsin, Tilsit, Toledo, Tolen- 
tino, Tordesillas, Tourkman- 
tchai, Tripartite,Triple, Tri-regal, 
Troyes, Turin, Unkiar Skelessi, 
Utrecht, Uxbridge, Vaal, Verdun, 
Vereeniging, Versailles, Vervins, 
Vienna, Villefranche, Wallachia, 
Wallingf ord, Washington, Water- 
boer, Wedmore, Werela, West- 
phalia, Worms, Yandabo, Zanzi- 
bar, Zurich. 

Treaty Ports. 

Ports specially set aside for 
trade purposes and the resi- 
dence of foreigners in countries 
where unrestricted foreign trade 
is not permitted, as in China. 

Treinta y Tres. 

The thirty-three Uruguayan 
patriots who raised the standard 
of revolt against Brazil in 1825. 
Aided by Argentina, Uruguay 
shook off the Brazilian yoke 
and was proclaimed an inde- 
pendent republic in 1828. 

Trek, Great. 

The great emigration of Dutch 
settlers from Cape Colony in 
1836 and 1837. A variety of 
causes, among others the eman- 
cipation of the KajB&r slaves, 
for which the farmers received 
very inadequate compensation, 
led to this trek, which brought 
about the first colonisation of 
the country beyond the Orange 
river. Other parties crossed the 
Drakensberg into Natal, where 
they established a republic in 
1838. 



Trek, Second. 

An emigration of Boer far- 
mers from the country between 
the Orange river and the Vaal, 
in 1844 and 1845. Their object 
was to escape British rule, 
which was about to be estab- 
lished in the country they 
were leaving, and which took 
shape in the Orange River Sove- 
reignty in 1848. These trekkers 
founded the South African Re- 
public. 

Trent, Council of. 

A council summoned by Paul 
III in 1545, to settle, if possible, 
the religious questions arising 
out of the Reformation. The 
council lasted till 1563, and in 
the end merely emphasised the 
differences between the Catholic 
Church and the Reformers, 
reasserting as essentially Catho- 
lic the doctrines of purgatory, 
transubstantiation, the inter- 
cession of saints, and others. 

Trent Incident. 

The forcible removal from an 
English steamer, the Trent, 
by Captain Wilkes, of the 
U.S. sloop Jacinto, of Messrs. 
Mason and Slidell, who were 
on their way to Europe as 
envoys of the Southern States 
in 1 861. They were subse- 
quently released, but not until 
considerable public feeling had 
been aroused on both sides, and 
the British Government had 
gone the length of reinforcing 
the Canadian garrison. 

Treuga Dei. 

The Truce of God, imposed 
upon all the vassals of the 
Empire who were at war amongst 
themselves by an edict of the 
Emperor Henry III, issued at 
the Diet of Constance in 1403. 



26o DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



It was to be observed from 
Wednesday evening till Monday 
morning in each week. 

Tribunal Revolutionnaire. 

A tribunal, at first called the 
Tribunal Extraordinaire, estab- 
lished by the French Convention 
in March 1793, to deal with 
Royalist and other suspects and 
political prisoners. It was com- 
posed of five judges, with a 
standing jury, each member of 
which had to give his verdict 
audibly. There was no appeal 
from the decisions of this court, 
which sent some two thousand 
persons to the guillotine. 

Tribune of the People. 

A sobriquet of John Bright. 

Tricoteuses de Robespierre. 

Robespierre's knitters were a 
knot of women who, during 
the Terror, used to sit, knitting, 
at the meetings of the Conven- 
tion and of the Tribunal Revo- 
lutionnaire, or round the guillo- 
tine. They were also called 
"Les Furies de la Guillotine." 

Triennial Act. 

An Act passed in 1694, limit- 
ing the duration of a Parliament 
to three years. It was practic- 
ally repealed by the Septennial 
Act of 1716. 

Triers. 

An examining body appointed 
by Cromwell in 1554, to inquire 
into the qualifications of persons 
appointed to benefices. Any 
one, other than a Catholic, whose 
creed was fundamentally ortho- 
dox, and whose life was free 
from reproach, was permitted 
to retain his cure. 

Trim, Remonstrance of. 

A document submitted to 
Charles I by Ormonde in 1643, 



in which the Irish Catholics conv- 
plained of the disabilities under 
which they laboured owing to 
the legislation of Elizabeth's 
reign. At the same time they 
offered to place ten thousand 
men at the King's disposal. 

Trinoda Necessitas. 

In Saxon times the obligation 
thrown on every inhabitant of 
bearing his share in (i) war 
service ; (2) the repair of roads 
and bridges; and (3) the mainte- 
nance of fortifications. This 
obligation was continued after 
the Conquest, 

Tripartite Treaty, 1800. 

A treaty between the British, 
the Nizam of Hyderabad, and a 
representative of the ancient 
royal family of Mysore, dividing 
between the three signatories 
the dominions of Tippu Sahib. 

Tripartite Treaty, 1856. 

A treaty signed by Great 
Britain, France and Austria, 
immediately after signature of 
the Treaty of Paris of 1856, 
guaranteeing the independence 
and territorial integrity of Tur- 
key, and declaring that they 
would consider any infraction 
of the Treaty of Paris to be a 
casus belli. 

Triple Alliance, 1668. 

An alliance concluded in 1668 
between England, Holland and 
Sweden, by which the contract- 
ing parties bound themselves to 
oppose the advance of France. 
Within two years, however, 
Charles II signed a treaty with 
the French king, binding him- 
self not to interfere with the 
French designs on the Nether- 
lands. 

Triple Alliance, 17 17. 

An alliance of England » 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 261 



France and Holland, guarantee- 
ing the clauses of the Treaty of 
Utrecht with reference to the 
English Protestant succession, 
the French succession, and the 
renunciation by Spain of her 
claim to the throne of France. 
It was intended as a counter- 
poise to the alliance of Russia, 
Sweden and Spain. It became 
the Quadruple Alliance by the 
adhesion of Austria in 17 18. 

Triple Alliance, 1883. 

In 1879 Germany and Austria 
entered into a defensive alliance, 
which provided for mutual 
assistance against Russia, and 
at least a benevolent neutrality 
against any other Power. In 
1883 it was announced that 
Italy was a party to this alliance, 
which then became known as 
the Triple Alliance. It has 
been several times renewed, the 
last occasion being in 1902. 

Triple Alliance (India). 

An alliance between the Eng- 
lish, the Peshwa and the Nizam, 
concluded in 1790, by which 
it was agreed that the con- 
tracting parties should combine 
to invade the dominions of 
Tippoo Sahib, and that all 
conquests should be equally 
divided between them. 

Triple Alliance, War of the. 

The war waged by Brazil, 
Argentina and Uruguay against 
Paraguay from 1865 to 1869. 

Tri-regal Alliance, 

An alliance between the kings 
of Prussia, Saxony and Han- 
over in 1849, with the object 
of bringing about a union of the 
German States, to the exclusion 
of Austria. It was broken up 
by the Humiliation of Olmtitz 
in 1850. 



Trismegistus, The German. 

Rudolph II of Germany was 
so called. 

Triumvirate, The. 

Grenville's Ministry in 1763 
was so called, because the Secre- 
taries of State, Lords Egremont 
and Halifax, were regarded as 
holding the direction of affairs 
jointly with GrenvUle. 

Triumvirate, The Catholic. 

The league between the Due 
de Guise, the Marechal de St. 
Andre, and the Constable of 
France in the reign of Charles IX 
was so called. 

Triumvirate, The (Russia). 

This title was given to Adam 
Czartoryski, Novossiltsof and 
Strogonof, the three principal 
advisers of Alexander I of Russia 
on his accession. 

Troppau, Congress of. 

A meeting of the Russian, 
Austrian and Prussian sover- 
eigns in 1820, to consider the 
questions raised by the Nea- 
politan revolution, and to con- 
firm the Holy Alliance. 

Trott of Turriff. 

An attack by the Gordons 
under Robert Johnston on the 
Covenanters at Turriff in 1639, 
the Covenanters being driven 
out. 

Troubles, Council of. 

See Blood Council. 

Trough, Race of the. 

See Farquharsons. 

Troyes, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1420 by 
Henry V of England and Philip, 
Count of Charolais, on behalf 
of the Burgundian Party, by 
which it was provided that 
Henry should marry Catherine 



262 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



of France, and succeed to the 
French Crown on the death of 
Charles VI. It only resulted 
in a fresh effort on the part of 
the patriotic party, the Armag- 
nacs, and the defeat of the 
English at Beauge, while Henry, 
hastening back to France to re- 
establish his position, died there 
in 1422. 

Truck Act. 

An Act passed in 1831, and 
extended in 1887, forbidding 
the payment of wages, either 
wholly or in part, in goods. 
It applies to all persons engaged 
in manual labour, except do- 
mestic servants. 

Tsung-li-Yamen. 

The old Board of Foreign 
Affairs in China. It was abol- 
ished by Imperial edict in 1901, 
and replaced by a new Board 
known as the Wai-Wupu. 

Tubingen, Treaty of. 

The name given to an agree- 
ment between Ulrich of Wiir- 
temberg and his subjects in 
1 5 14, by which the latter agreed 
to pay the Duke's debts in re- 
turn for certain concessions. 

Tuchins. 

Bands of revolted peasants 
in the Cevennes in 1381, who 
waged war against all who did 
not belong to the labouring 
classes. 

Tugendbund. 

A secret society established 
in Germany in 1808, to arouse 
the national spirit against the 
domination of Napoleon. 

Tulchan Bishops. 

The contemptuous sobriquet 
given to the titular bishops in 
Scotland, 1572, referring to their 



surrender to the lay patrons 
of practically the whole of their 
benefices. " Tulchan " is a 

calf -skin, stuffed with straw,' 
used to induce a cow to give 
her milk more easily. 

Turin, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in i860 by 
France and Sardinia, providing 
for the cession to France of 
Savoy and Nice, in return for 
Lombardy, in accordance with 
the secret agreement of Napo- 
leon III and Victor Emmanuel. 

Turkey Company. 

A trading company incor- 
porated in 1 581, for the con- 
solidation of the various interests 
trading in the Levant. 

Turnip-Hoer. 

A nickname of George I, who 
is said to have suggested plant- 
ing St. James's Park with 
turnips. 

Turpentine State. 

A popular name for the State 
of North Carolina, referring 
to its large production of tur- 
pentine. 

Tuscany, League of. 

A league of the Tuscan cities, 
formed under the auspices of 
Innocent III, " for the honour 
and aggrandizement of the 
Apostolic See." Pisa alone 

refused to join the league. 

Tweed Ring. 

A ring headed by W. M. 
Tweed, the Tammany Boss, 
which robbed the city of New 
York of large sums. Tweed was 
convicted of fraud in 1873. See 
Tammany. 

Twelve Peers of France. 

A body of peers, holding 
direct from the Crown, who 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 263 



were limited to twelve during 
the reign of Philip Augustus 
(i 180-1223). They were six 
lay peers, namely, the Dukes of 
Normandy, Aquitaine and Bur- 
gundy, and the Counts of 
Toulouse, Flanders and Cham- 
pagne; and six spiritual, the 
Archbishop of Rheims, and the 
Bishops of Beauvais, Chalons, 
Langres, Laon, and Noyon. 

Twenge's Riots. 

In 1230 a secret society 
formed, under the leadership 
of Sir Robert Twenge, to oppose 
the granting of benefices to 
foreign priests, had recourse to 
violent measures to advance 
their cause. Many foreigners 
were robbed and outraged, and 
Twenge had the audacity to 
justify himself before Henry III, 
and was allowed to go unpun- 
ished. 

Two Nations, Committee of the. 
A joint committee appointed 
by the English and Scots Parlia- 
ments in 1643, after the accept- 
ance of the Solemn League and 
Covenant, to carry on the war 
against the King. 

Tycoon. 

See Shogun. 

Tynwald, Court of. 

The legislature of the Isle of 
Man. It is composed of two 
houses, the Council and the 
House of Keys. 

Tything. 

The ten persons united under 
the system of Frankpledge were 
called a tything. 



u 

Udallers. 

The name given to the pro- 



prietors of allodial lands in the 
Orkneys. 

Ukase. 

A decree of the Czar of Russia 
is so called. The Czar being 
an absolute monarch, it has all 
the force of a legal enactment. 

Ulema. 

The body of professional 
theologians and lawyers in Tur- 
key. They are the interpreters 
of the law of the Koran, and 
from their body are selected the 
pleaders and magistrates as 
well as the priests. The head 
of the Ulema is the Sheyk-ul- 
Islam. 

Ulm, Capitulation of. 

The surrender of the Austrian 
General Mack, with 30,000 men, 
to Napoleon in October 1805. 

Ulster Custom. 

A system of land tenure pre- 
vailing in the greater part of 
Ulster, by which the tenant's 
property in all improvements 
affected by him is recognised 
by the landlord. This custom 
had practically the force of law, 
and was made a part of the 
Irish Land Laws by Mr. Glad- 
stone's Act of 1870. 

Ulster Massacre. 

The Irish rebellion of 1641 
began with an attack upon the 
English settlers in Ulster, many 
of whom, living outside the 
towns, were murdered in cold 
blood. The number of victims 
has been put as high as 300,000, 
but this is doubtless a gross 
exaggeration. Still, some thou- 
sands unquestionably perished. 

Ulster, Plantation of. 

The colonisation, between 
1606 and 161 2, of lands for- 
feited from Tyrone, Tyrconel, 



264 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



and other rebels, by retired 
servants of the Crown. It was 
a condition of the colonisation 
that the Irish were to be con- 
fined to their own districts, 
and not allowed to settle on 
the forfeited lands. The City 
of London undertook the coloni- 
sation of Derry. 

Ultimus Romanorum. 

A sobriquet of Horace Wal- 
pole (1717-97). 

Ultramontanes. 

The name given to any party 
strongly supporting the Papal 
claim to temporal power. It 
was used especially in Germany, 
of the Catholic party, led by 
Dr. Windthorst during the 
Kulturkampf. 

Umritsar, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the East 
India Company and Ranjit 
Singh, concluded in 1809. It 
provided that the British should 
not seek to exercise any control 
in the territories north of the 
Sutlej, while Ranjit Singh 
agreed to respect the rights of 
the cis-Sutlej chiefs living under 
British protection. 

Unam Sanctam, Bull of. 

A Bull issued by Boniface 
VIII at the Council of Rome 
in 1302, declaring that the 
temporal power is inferior to the 
spiritual, and that the Pope has 
the power of appointing and 
deposing sovereigns. This Bull 
was specially directed against 
Philip the Fair of France. 

Uncle Sam. 

The popular name for the 
Government of the • United 
States. 

Uncrowned King. 

Charles Stewart Parnell was 



called the Uncrowned King of 
Ireland. 

Underground Railroad. 

An organization formed in 
the Northern States of America, 
after the passing of the Fugitive 
Slave Law in 1850, to aid 
fugitive slaves to escape to 
British territory. 

Undertakers. 

A number of English gentle- 
men who undertook the settle- 
ment of Ulster in 1569. The 
forfeited lands were to be 
peopled by settling a family on 
each 240 acres, and no Irish 
were to be admitted as tenants. 
Neither of these obligations was 
adhered to, and little was 
accomplished till the Planta- 
tion of Ulster in 1606. 

Undertakers. 

The name given to certain 
members of the Addled Parlia- 
ment in 161 5, who undertook 
to control it in the interests of 
the King. Their plans became 
known, and they consequently 
failed to carry out their scheme. 

Undertakers, Parliamentary. 

Twenty-five Irish land- 
owners who, in the unreformed 
Parliament, were able to control 
the return of 116 members out 
of a house of 300. They were 
thus enabled to make their own 
terms with the Government, 
and were consequently known 
by the above title. 

Uniformity, Act of. 

An Act passed in 1549 
(Edward VI), forbidding the 
use in churches of any book of 
prayers except the Book of 
Common Prayer approved by 
the Parliament then sitting, 
and known as Edward VI' s 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 265 



First Prayer Book. Certain 
alterations having been made 
in the book, a further Act was 
passed in 1552, substituting 
the new version for the First 
Prayer Book. The use of this 
book having been abohshed 
during Mary's reign, it was again 
made obhgatory by an Act of 
Queen Elizabeth in 1559, and 
made to apply to Ireland, while 
the same course was pursued 
after the Restoration in 1662, 
with the additional proviso that 
no clergyman might hold a 
living who was not ordained by 
a bishop and prepared to accept 
the Prayer Book. 

Unigenitus, Bull. 

A Bull issued by Innocent X 
in 1653, in condemnation of 
the Jansenist heresy. 

Union Catholique. 

A union of the League with 
the less bigoted Catholics of 
France, formed in 1588 on the 
virtual acceptance by Henri III 
of the League formulas. 

Union Cellar. 

An underground cellar in the 
High Street, Edinburgh, where 
the principal supporters of the 
union with England held secret 
meetings, the feeling against 
the union being so strong that 
they dared not meet openly. 

Union de la France Chretienne. 

A union formed in 1891 to 
hinder the movement for ad- 
hesion to the Republic on the 
part of the Catholic party. Its 
leaders were M. de Chesnelong, 
the Comte de Mun, and the 
Baron de Mackau. 

Union of Calmar. 

By this instrument, promul- 
gated in 1397 by Margaret of 



Denmark, the three northern 
kingdoms of Norway, Sweden 
and Denmark were united into 
one monarchy. It was re- 
nounced by Sweden in 1523. 

Union Jack. 

The union flag, when hoisted 
at thejackstafi of a man-of-war, 
is so called. The union flag is 
composed of the red cross of 
St. George on a white ground 
(England), the white saltire of 
St. Andrew "on a blue ground 
(Scotland), and the red saltire 
of St. Patrick on a white ground 
(Ireland). 

Union v/ith Ireland. 

The Act of Union with Ireland 
was finally passed in 1800. 
Resolutions in favour of it had 
been submitted to the Irish 
Parliament in 1799, and though 
supported in the main by the 
Irish Catholics, they were op- 
posed by Grattan, Curran and 
other Irish leaders, and rejected. 
Pitt was determined that in the 
interests of both countries the 
union must take place, and, the 
Irish Parliament having been 
dissolved, he succeeded by un- 
limited bribery in securing a 
Parliament containing a ma- 
jority pledged to vote for the 
union. This Parliament met 
in 1800, and the necessary 
resolution was passed by a 
majority of forty-six. 

Union with Scotland. 

The ParHamentary Union be- 
tween the two kingdoms was 
agreed to in 1706, the terms 
being settled by commissioners, 
thirty-one on each side, ap- 
pointed for the purpose. The 
basis of the agreement was that 
there should be one kingdom, 
one Parliament and one Sue- 



266 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



cessor. The national flags were 
to be combined, and the two 
countries known as the United 
Kingdom. The confirming Act 
was passed by the Scots Parlia- 
ment in 1706, by the English in 
1707. 

United Brotherhood. 

See Clan-na-Gael. 

United Colonies of New England. 
See Confederation, Treaty of. 

United Diet. 

A combination of the eight 
Provincial Assemblies of the 
Prussian monarchy, convened 
by Frederick William IV in 1 847. 
It sat for eleven weeks only, and 
was replaced by the Constituent 
Assembly summoned to prepare 
a constitution in 1848. 

United Irish League. 

A league founded by William 
O'Brien in the congested dis- 
tricts of the west of Ireland 
in 1897. Its ostensible object 
is to secure an increase in the 
size of tenants'holdings by break- 
ing up grass farms. Its methods 
are not free from intimidation. 

United Irishmen. 

A society founded in 1789 by 
Wolfe Tone, in the attempt to 
unite, in opposition to the 
Government, the Irish Catholics 
and the Republican Protestants 
of Ulster. 

United Provinces. ' 

The name given to the seven 
provinces of the Netherlands, 
namely, Holland, Zeeland, 
Utrecht, Friesland, Groningen, 
Gelderland and Oberyssel, which 
formed the Union of Utrecht in 
1579- 

University Tests Act. 

An Act passed in 1871, 



abolishing all religious tests for 
admission to the Universities of 
Oxford and Cambridge, and 
making all graduates of the 
Universities eligible for fellow- 
ships, whether in Holy Orders 
or not. 

Unkiar Skelessi, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Russia and 
Turkey, signed in 1833, by 
which, regardless of the protests 
of France and England, Turkey 
agreed to open the Bosphorus 
to the warships of Russia, while 
the Dardanelles remained closed 
to those of every other Power. 

Unlearned Parliament. 

The Parliament of Henry IV, 
which met at Coventry in 1404, 
was so called because it con- 
tained no lawyers. 

Unser Fritz. 

Frederick, Emperor of Ger- 
many, was called Our Fritz by 
his subjects. 

Unspeakable Turk. ' 

A phrase applied to the Otto- 
man Empire. It was first used 
by Thomas Carlyle. 

Useless Parliament. 

The name given to the first 
Parliament of Charles I. It met 
in June 1625, was removed to 
Oxford in August, and dissolved 
on the 12th of that month 
without having transacted any 
business. 

Uses, Statute of. 

By common law, landed pro- 
perty could only be left to the 
eldest son, and it had become 
the custom to saddle property 
so left with " uses," or charges, 
in favour of the younger chil- 
dren. This had caused inex- 
tricable confusion as to title, 
and a statute of Henry VIII, 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 267 



passed in 1535, forbade the 
practice. It was very soon 
repealed. 

Uti Possidetis. 

A term signifying the reten- 
tion by the parties to a treaty 
of all such territories as they 
may have conquered or become 
possessed of up to the signature 
of the document. 

Utraquists. 

The name given to a section 
of the Hussites who stood firm 
in their demand that the Com- 
munion should be administered 
in both kinds. 

Utrecht, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 17 13 
between Louis XIV and the 
allies, England and Holland, 
the Emperor not being a party 
to the instrument, at the close 
of the War of the Spanish 
Succession. By its terms the 
allies recognized the Bourbon 
succession to the Spanish 
throne, with the proviso that 
the two crowns should never 
be united in one person. Louis 
acknowledged Anne and the 
Protestant Succession. England 
retained Gibraltar, Minorca and 
Newfoundland, the latter sub- 
ject to the fishery rights of 
France. Spain again granted 
England the Asiento, and cer- 
tain fortified towns were given 
to the Dutch as a barrier in the 
Netherlands. The Emperor 

signed a separate treaty at 
Rastadt in the following year. 

Utrecht, Union of. 

A union of the various pro- 
vinces of the Netherlands in 
1597, when they undertook to 
support each other in opposing 
the claims of the Spanish King. 



The free exercise of the Protes- 
tant religion was guaranteed to 
Holland and Zeeland. This 
union may be looked upon as 
the foundation stone of the 
Dutch Republic. 

Uxbridge, Treaty of. 

An attempt on the part of 
the Presbyterians in Parliament 
to come to terms with Charles I 
in 1645. Negotiations were 

opened at Uxbridge, the Parlia- 
mentary demands being the 
aboHtion of Episcopacy, the 
continuation of the war in 
Ireland, and the control by Par- 
liament of the Army and Navy 
and of appointments to the 
great offices of State. The King 
withdrew from the negotiations, 
owing to the dissensions in 
Parliament between the Inde- 
pendents and Presbyterians, 
which he anticipated would 
eventually enable him to obtain 
better terms. 



Vaal, Treaty of the. 

A treaty between the Trans- 
vaal and the Orange Free State. 
signed in 1857, after President 
Pretorius' abortive invasion of 
the Free State. The two 

countries mutually acknow- 
ledged each other's independ- 
ence, with the Vaal as the 
boundary between them. The 
Transvaal repudiated the acts 
of Pretorius in his attempt to 
interfere with the internal 
Government of the Free State, 
while the Free State undertook 
to use every endeavour to 
compel Schoeman and Joubert 
to cease hostilities, and further 
agreed to accord to burghers of 



268 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



the Transvaal the same privi- 
leges as were granted to those 
of Cape Colony and Natal. 

Vaccination Act. 

An Act passed in 1898, sub- 
stituting the use of calf-lymph 
for the old arm-to-arm system 
in public vaccination, and per- 
mitting parents who had a 
conscientious objection, to with- 
hold their children from vaccina- 
tion, on satisfying a magistrate 
of the same. 

Vagabonds Act. 

An Act passed in 1704, em- 
powering Justices of the Peace 
to hand over to the military 
authorities, as recruits, all able- 
bodied men who were without 
visible means of subsistence. 

Valtelline, Massacre of the. 

A massacre of the Grisons 
Protestants in the Valtelline 
Valley in 1620, by Robustelli, 
acting with the connivance of 
the Austrians and the Spaniards. 

Vassalage. 

In the Middle Ages, the con- 
dition of feudal dependence, 
either upon the Lord Para- 
mount, as in the case of the 
great territorial nobles, or upon 
a vassal of the Lord Paramount. 

Vassy, Massacre of. 

The massacre, in 1562, of a 
body of Huguenots who, in 
accordance with their strict 
legal f rights, were holding a 
service outside the town of 
Vassy in Champagne. The 

murderers were the retinue of 
the^- Due de Guise, and the 
victims numbered sixty, while 
over two hundred were wounded. 
This atrocity led to the outbreak 
of the first Huguenot War. 



Vatican Council. 

The OEcumenical Council held 
in Rome in 1870, at which the 
dogma of the Infallibility of the 
Pope was promulgated. 

Vavassors. 

The name given on the 
Continent to the vassals of the 
great feudal lords. 

Vehmgerichte. 

Secret tribunals established 
in Germany during the Middle 
Ages, to try persons arraigned 
on capital charges, and to carry 
out the sentence in case of con- 
viction. The most famous was 
that of Westphalia. Any free 
born German was eligible as a 
member, or Freischoffe, and 
many German Princes were 
initiated. The powers of the 
Vehmgerichte were greatly 
curtailed by Maximilian, the 
original purpose of these tri- 
bunals having been over- 
shadowed by their employment 
as vehicles of private vengeance, 
and they gradually lost all 
influence, till they were finally 
dissolved by Jerome Buona- 
parte in 181 1. 

Veishya. 

The third, or agricultural, 
caste among the Hindus. 

Vellore, Mutiny of. 

A rising of native troops in 
the Madras Presidency in 1806, 
caused by a change in the head- 
dress of the Sepoy, to whom it 
was suggested by agitators that 
he was to be forcibly Christian- 
ized. The rising was soon 
suppressed. 

Venezuela Boundary. 

In January 1895 Venezuelan 
troops crossed the Cuyuni river, 
part of the Schomburgk line, 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 269 



into British Guiana, and hoisted 
the Venezuelan flag in territory 
which had been occupied by the 
British colonists for many years. 
Obtaining no redress, Lord 
Salisbury issued an ultimatum, 
whereupon Venezuela appealed 
to the United States to inter- 
vene, in support of the Monroe 
doctrine. President Cleveland 
and Mr. Olney took a high hand, 
and went the length of appoint- 
ing an American Commission to 
examine into the boundary 
question. After long negotia- 
tion arbitration was agreed 
upon, and a treaty settling the 
details was signed in February 
1897. The award of the arbi- 
trators was issued in 1899, and 
practically confirmed the 
British claim to the Schom- 
burgk line, but gave Venezuela 
Barima Point, at the mouth 
of the Orinoco, and a tract of 
country west of the Wenama 
river. 

Venice, League of. 

A league formed in 1495 
between Spain, Austria, Milan, 
Venice and Rome, the signa- 
tories binding themselves to 
unite for the protection of any 
one of the contracting parties 
that was attacked, and especi- 
ally for the preservation of the 
States of the Church. It is 
the first example in history of a 
coalition for mutual defence. 

Venner's Plot. 

A plot of the Fifth Monarchy 
men in 1660, under Thomas 
Venner, to dethrone Charles II. 
The plan was to seize Whitehall 
during the King's absence, when 
Venner, a wdld fanatic, trusted 
to Divine help to carry out the 
rest of his scheme. The plot 



failed, and Venner and other 
leaders were arrested, but only 
after a desperate resistance. 

Verdun, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 843, after 
a short conflict, by the three 
sons of Charlemagne, Charles the 
Bald, Louis and Lothair. The 
eldest son, Lothair, renounced 
his right to the paramo untcy. 
and the younger sons entered 
into full enjoyment of their 
territories, the Empire being 
thus divided. This treaty 
marks the division of the Prank- 
ish nation into French and 
Germans. 

Vereeniging Conference. 

The conference of Boer leaders 
held at Vereeniging in May 1902, 
at which the terms of surrender 
were discussed and finally ac- 
cepted. The terms provided 
for the immediate laying down 
of arms by the Boer com- 
mandos, the acknowledgment 
of the King as their lawful 
sovereign, the return of the Boer 
prisoners as soon as practicable, 
freedom of surrendered burghers 
from all judicial proceedings 
except for acts contrary to the 
usages of war, the use of the 
Dutch language in the schools, 
if demanded, and in the law 
courts when necessary, and the 
establishment in due course of 
representative government. The 
British Government further 
agreed to provide ;^3, 000,000 as 
a free gift, towards the re- 
settlement of the country, and 
a loan of unstated amount, on 
easy terms, for the same pur- 
pose. 

Vernacular Press Act. 

An Act passed in India in 



270 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



1878 to control native news- 
papers publishing seditious 
libels. It gave the Govern- 
ment power to make the editor 
of a native newspaper enter 
into a bond not to print sedi- 
tious matter, and also authorized 
the seizure of plant in the event 
of non-compliance with the 
terms of the bond. The Act 
was repealed in 1882. 

Verona, Congress of. 

A Congress of the Powers held 
in 1822, to consider the situation 
in Spain. It resulted in the 
armed intervention of France 
in the following year. 

Veronese Vespers. 

A rising at Verona in 1797, 
during the French occupation. 
It was promptly put down, but 
not before the Veronese had 
murdered four hundred French 
sick and wounded, lying in the 
hospitals of the town. 

Versailles, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1783 
between Great Britain on the 
one hand, and Spain, France 
and the United States on the 
other, at the conclusion of the 
American War of Independence. 
France retained Tobago, and 
Spain, Florida and Minorca, but 
all other conquests were restored 
on both sides. As between 
Great Britain and the United 
States, this treaty simply con- 
firmed the provisions of the 
Treaty of Peace of 1782. 

Vervins, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1598 be- 
tween Henri IV of France and 
Philip II of Spain, after the 
recovery by Henri of Amiens, 
which had fallen into the hands 
of the Spaniards. By its terms 



France recovered all the terri- 
tory occupied by Spain during 
the previous ten years, her 
frontier being restored to that 
settled by the Treaty of Cateau 
Cambresis. 

Veto. 

Under the Swiss Constitution, 
the right of the people to reject 
a law passed by the Assembly, 
by means of the Referendum. 

Veto Act. 

An Act passed by the General 
Assembly of the Church of 
Scotland in 1834, at the instiga- 
tion of Dr. Chalmers, declaring 
it to be a fundamental law of 
the Church that no pastor could 
be imposed on a congregation 
against their will. 

Victorian Deadlocks. 

These were three in number, 
caused by attempts to tack 
on to the Appropriation Bill 
resolutions of a controversial 
character. The first occurred 
in 1865, when the Legislative 
Council refused to pass the 
Appropriation Bill with certain 
tariff resolutions of a protec- 
tive character appended. The 
Governor thereupon declined 
to sign warrants for payments 
out of the Treasury, and the 
business of the country was at 
a standstill. The Government, 
however, got out of the diffi- 
culty by having recourse to the 
banks. The second or great 
deadlock arose from the inclusion 
in the Appropriation Bill of a 
grant of ;^20,ooo to Sir Charles 
Darling, the retiring Governor, 
in 1867. This was ended by the 
refusal of Sir Charles, in July 
1868, to accept the grant. The 
third arose in 1877 over the 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 271 



question of payment of mem- 
bers, the council again refusing 
to pass the Appropriation Bill 
with this provision tacked on. 
The Government thereupon dis- 
missed a large number of civil 
servants. A compromise was, 
however, arrived at, and the 
of&cials reinstated. The day 
on which the dismissals took 
place is known as Black Wed- 
nesday. 

Vienna Congress. 

A congress of the Great 
Powers, held in 18 14-15, at 
which Great Britain, France, 
Austria, Prussia and Russia 
were represented. It confirmed 
in its main features the Treaty 
of Paris of 1 8 1 5 , with the follow- 
ing additional provisions : one- 
third of the kingdom of Saxony 
was surrendered to Prussia; the 
Duchy of Posen was retained 
by Prussia, and part of Galicia 
by Austria, while Russia secured 
the rest of Poland; the Bourbons 
were restored in Naples, the 
T5n:ol was given back to Austria, 
and certain arrangements made 
as to the minor German and 
Italian States. The Congress 
further pronounced in favour of 
the free navigation of rivers, 
and of the suppression of the 
slave trade. 

Vienna Conference. 

A conference of the four Great 
Powers, held in 1853, with the 
object of mediating between 
Russia and Turkey, A note 
was drawn up which was 
accepted by Russia, but refused 
by Turkey, the Sultan declining 
to admit that Russia's cham- 
pionship alone maintained the 
Greek Church in his dominions. 
During the sitting of the con- 



ference Turkey declared war. It 
being found impossible to bring 
the antagonists to terms, the 
conference was dissolved. 

Vienna, Definitive Peace of. 

A treaty signed in 1738 by 
Austria, France, Spain and 
Sardinia, after the War of the 
Polish Succession. By its pro- 
visions Lorraine was ceded to 
France, the Duke of Lorraine 
receiving in exchange the Duchy 
of Tuscany. Spain retained 
Naples and Sicily, and Sardinia 
obtained Novara and Tortona, 
and some other frontier towns. 

Vienna, Peace of. 

A treaty between France and 
Austria, signed in 1809 after the 
defeat of the Austrians at 
Wagram, by which Austria was 
despoiled of further territory 
for the benefit of France, 
Russia and Bavaria. Austria 
also agreed to recognize Joseph 
Buonaparte as King of Spain, 
and to support the Continental 
Blockade. 

Vienna, Treaty of, 1725. 

A treaty between Spain and 
Austria, by which Spain ac- 
cepted the Pragmatic Sanction, 
and agreed to open her ports 
to German commerce ; while 
Austria recognized Don Carlos 
as the successor to the Duchies 
of Parma and Tuscany, and 
undertook to use her influence 
with England to obtain the 
restoration to Spain of Gibraltar 
and Minorca. There was, how- 
ever, a further secret treaty, 
binding both countries to assist 
in the restoration of the Stuarts, 
while Austria promised aid in 
compelling the return of Gib- 
raltar and Minorca, by force if 
necessary. 



272 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



Vienna, Treaty of, 1731. 

A treaty between Austria, 
Spain, Holland and England. 
The three latter powers united 
in guaranteeing the Pragmatic 
Sanction, while Austria agreed 
to the occupation of Parma and 
Tuscany by Spanish garrisons. 

Vienne, Council of. 

A council summoned by Pope 
Clement V in 13 12, at which he 
pronounced the dissolution of 
the Order of Knights Templars. 

Vieux Renard. 

Marshal Soult (i 769-1 851) 
was so called by his soldiers. 

View of Frankpledge. 

The periodical revision by the 
Hundred Court of the Tythings, 
or divisions of ten men, under 
the system of Frankpledge. 

Vigo Galleons. 

The name given to an ex- 
pedition under Sir George Rooke 
in 1702, when the English fleet 
forced an entrance into Vigo 
Bay, and destroyed the French 
fleet, together with the Spanish 
galleons, which had just arrived 
with treasure from America. 

Vilagos, Surrender of. 

The surrender of the Magyars 
at the end of the Hungarian War 
of Independence in 1849. It 
was negotiated between General 
Gorgey and the Russian General 
Paskievitch, and it is said on 
good authority, though there 
is no documentary evidence to 
prove it, that Gorgey was in- 
duced to consent to the sur- 
render by the promise that no 
Hungarian officer should be 
given up to the Austrians, and 
that Russia would undertake to 
secure independence for the 
Magyars under a Russian Prince. 
The promise, if ever made, was 



certainly not kept, and the 
Austrians tried and executed 
many of the Magyar leaders. 

Villafranca Treaty. 

A treaty between France, 
Sardinia and Austria, signed in 
1859, after the defeats of the 
latter Power at Magenta and 
Solferino. Austria withdrew 
entirely from Lombardy, which 
was made over to Sardinia, in 
accordance with the arrange- 
ment secretly arrived at between 
Napoleon III and Victor Em- 
manuel. 

Villeins. 

Under the feudal system in 
England the serfs or dependents 
of the feudal lords were so 
called. They were bound to the 
soil and forced to render various 
menial services. On the Conti- 
nent the villeins appear to have 
been in a better position than 
the serfs proper, being bound 
only to pay certain tribute, or 
render certain definite services. 

Villers-Cotterets, Ordonnance de. 
An edict of Francis I of 
France, issued in 1539, to re- 
form the administration of jus- 
tice, and abbreviate trials. It 
also provided for the official 
registration of baptisms and 
burials. 

Vinland. 

The name given to the Viking 
Colony on the American Conti- 
nent, probably a portion of 
Rhode Island, founded by Leif, 
son of Eric the Red, about 
1000 A.D. 

Virgin Queen. 

Queen Elizabeth of England 
was so called. 

Virginia, Charter of. 

The first Colonial Charter, 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 273 



issued by James I in 1606. A 
certain territory was thereby 
set aside to be colonised by two 
companies of adventurers, one 
from London, the other from 
the west of England. The first 
company only was successful. 
The land was to be held on a 
tenure of homage, and a small 
royalty payable on all precious 
metals extracted from the soil. 
An English council was formed, 
to exercise a general superin- 
tendence over the affairs of the 
colony. All colonists and their 
descendants were to retain their 
rights as British subjects. 

Virginia, Declaration of. 

A declaration drafted by 
George Mason, and voted by 
the Convention of Virginia, in 
May 1776. It declared that all 
power sprang from and was 
vested in the people; that all 
men were free by nature; that 
government should be for the 
common welfare; that no office 
should be hereditary, and that 
there should be no restraint of 
the free exercise of religion. 

Virginian Liberties, Ordinance 
for the Security of. 
An ordinance issued in 1621, 
giving Virginia a written con- 
stitution. It provided for a 
Governor and a permanent 
Council, appointed by the Vir- 
ginia Company, and for an 
elected assembly, with legis- 
lative powers, to meet annually. 
The acts of this assembly were 
subject to the Governor's veto, 
and must further be ratified 
by the Company in London, 
while all ordinances issued by 
the Company equally required 
the ratification of the assembly. 
It was also provided that the 
procedure of the colonial courts 



should be assimilated to the 
English practice. 

Voivodes. 

The Princes of Moldavia and 
Wallachia were so called until 
1789, when these principalities 
came under the protection o 
Russia. 

Volksraad. 

The popular assembly in the 
Orange Free State and the South 
African Republic was so called. 

Voortrekkers. 

The name given to the Boers 
who took part in the Great Trek 
of 1836-7. 

Vote of Non-Addresses. 

A resolution of the Long 
Parliament, passed on January 
15, 1648, refusing, in view 
of the duplicity shown by 
Charles in the negotiations at 
Carisbrook, to receive any mes- 
sage from, or make any applica- 
tion to, the King. 

Vowel's Plot. 

A Royalist conspiracy to 
assassinate the Protector on 
his way to Hampton Court in 
1654. 

Vox in Excelso, Bull. 

A bull of Clement V, issued 
in 1 3 12, suppressing the Order 
of the Knights Templars. 



w 

Wager of Battle. 

A method of trial based on the 
Norse trial by duel, introduced 
into England by William the 
Conqueror, Any person charged 
with an offence by a private 
individual could challenge him 



274 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



to mortal combat, and if he were 
successful, or could escape de- 
feat for a whole day, was ac- 
quitted of the charge. Wager 
of battle was not legally abol- 
ished until 1 8 19. 

Wahabis. 

A sect of fanatical Moham- 
medans, whose centre is at Nejd, 
in Arabia, though they are 
spread over the whole Moslem 
world. As a military power 
they were at one time to be 
feared, but their organization 
was broken up by Mehemet Ali 
and Ibrahim Pasha at the 
beginning of the nineteenth 
century. 

Waitangi, Treaty of. 

A treaty between the British 
Government and the Maories in 
1 840,whereby the latter acknow- 
ledged the English sovereignty 
over New Zealand, while they 
were guaranteed in the undis- 
turbed possession of their lands. 

Wai-Wupu. 

The new board appointed 
by the Emperor of China in 
1902, to succeed the Tsung-li- 
Yamen in the control of Foreign 
Affairs. It has precedence over 
all the other departments of 
State. 

Walcheren Expedition. 

An abortive expedition des- 
patched by England to the 
Island of Walcheren in 1809, 
with the object of capturing 
Antwerp and destroying the 
French fleet in the Scheldt. 
The expedition captured Flush- 
ing, but had no further success, 
and was withdrawn within the 
year, the major portion of the 
force employed having been 
incapacitated by fever. 



Waldemariana, Constitutio. 

The constitution established 
in Denmark by Waldemar III, 
surnamed the Restorer (1340- 
75). 

Waldenses, 

A religious sect who seceded 
from the Church under Peter 
Waldo, a Lyons merchant, about 
1 160. They spread rapidly 
over France and Germany, but 
their chief seat was in the 
valleys of Savoy and the Pays 
de Vaud. They suffered perse- 
cution under Philip Augustus 
(i 180-1223), and again under 
Francis I in 1540, and finally 
were almost exterminated by 
Louvois between 1687 and 1690. 

Wales, Court of. 

A court established in the 
reign of James I, to supersede 
the ordinary courts in the 
counties of Hereford, Shrop- 
shire, Worcestershire and 
Gloucestershire, which were 
withdrawn from the jurisdiction 
of the common law, on the plea 
that they were the Welsh 
Marches. 

Wales, Ordinances of. 

A series of severely repressive 
laws against the Welsh, issued 
by Henry IV in 1401. 

Wales, Statute of. 

A statute of Edward I, issued 
in 1284, oil fhe annexation of 
Wales. It applied to the con- 
quered country the laws and 
institutions of England, with 
such exceptions as were deemed 
advisable to meet the prejudices 
of the Welsh. See Rhudlann. 

Wallace's Larder. 

The dungeon of Ardrossan. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 275 



into which Wallace threw the 
bodies of the slaughtered garri- 
son, when he captured the for- 
tress in the reign of Edward I. 

Wallachia, Capitulation of. 

A treaty between Murad I of 
Turkey, and the Voivode of 
WaUachia, signed in 1391, by 
which the Voivode recognized 
the suzerainty of Turkey, and 
agreed to pay an annual 
tribute. 

Waller's Plot. 

A conspiracy headed by 
Waller, the poet, who had been 
won over by the Royalists in 
1643, to collect troops and seize 
upon London. The plot mis- 
carried, however, and Waller 
was forced to make his sub- 
mission to the Parliament. 

Wallingford, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1 1 53, which 
ended the civil war of Stephen. 
Stephen was accepted as King, 
while Henry of Anjou was 
recognized by Stephen as heir 
to the throne. It was also 
agreed that the castles were to be 
razed, and all foreign mercen- 
aries dismissed. 

Wanderers. 

The Covenanters who left 
their homes to follow their dis- 
possessed ministers in 1669 were 
so called. 

Wapenshaw. 

A gathering of the people in 
ancient Scottish times, for the 
purpose of ascertaining that 
every man was properly armed, 
and fit to take the field if called 
upon. 

Wapentakes. 

In the counties settled by the 
Danes, these correspond to the 
Saxon Hundreds. 



Wards, Court of. 

A court established by Henry 
VIII in 1540, to enforce the 
rights of the Crown over its 
wards, and secure to the King 
the full benefit arising from the 
exercise of wardship. The court 
was abolished in 1660. 

Wardship. 

In early feudal times, in the 
event of a minor succeeding to a 
fief, the overlord claimed to act 
as guardian, both of the land 
and of the infant. This right 
was restricted by Magna Charta. 

Wars. 

See Arkansas, Armagnac, 
Augsburg, Austrian Succession, 
Barons, Bavarian Succession, 
Bien PubHc, Bread and 
Cheese, Casenbrotspel, Douglais, 
Farthings, Hundred Years, 
Hungarian, Jenkin's Ear, 
King Philip, Nobles, Opium, 
Pacific, Polish Succession, 
Rappenkrieg, Reforma, Seven 
Weeks, Seven Years, Spanish 
Succession, Thirty Years. 

Wartburg, Festival of. 

An assembly of German stu- 
dents held in 1 8 17, to commemo- 
rate the tercentenary of the 
Reformation. The occasion was 
utilised for the formation of a 
league of students to promote 
liberal ideas in politics and 
national unity. 

Washington, Treaty of. 

See Ashburton Treaty. 

Washington, Treaty of, 1871. 

A treaty between England 
and the United States, signed 
in 1 87 1, providing for the sub- 
mission to arbitration of the 
Alabama and the San Juan 
questions, and arranging a 



276 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



modus vivendi on the Canadian 
Pishery Question. Both the 
arbitrations went against Great 
Britain. 

Watch and Ward, Statute of. 

A statute passed in 1285 
(13th Edward I), providing for 
the pohcing of the streets of 
London. 

Waterboer, Treaty with. 

The first treaty signed in South 
Africa with a native chief. 
Waterboer was a Griqualand 
chief, and by this treaty, signed 
in 1834, he undertook to main- 
tain order within his territories 
and protect the colonial border 
irom marauders passing through 
his country, in return for which 
he was to receive ;^ioo per 
annum, and two hundred mus- 
Icets and ammunition. 

Wedmore, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Alfred and 
the Danes, concluded after the 
defeat of the latter at Edington 
in 878. By this treaty East 
Anglia was surrendered to the 
Danes, while a line was drawn 
separating their kingdom from 
Wessex, by which a large portion 
of Mercia was restored to Wessex. 
It was further provided that the 
Danes were to hold their lands 
as vassals of the King of 
Wessex, and to embrace Chris- 
tianity. 

Weregild. 

In Anglo-Saxon times, a 
money compensation paid by a 
murderer to the relatives of the 
murdered man. It varied in 
amount according to the rank 
of the victim. 

Werela, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Russia and 
Sweden, signed in 1790, at the 



conclusion of the war entered 
into by Gustavus of Sweden to 
support the Turks. No terri- 
torial changes took place. 

Westminster Assembly. 

An assembly of divines, held 
between 1643 and 1649, at 
which Presbyterianism was 
made the established religion 
of England, in accordance with 
the Solemn League and Coven- 
ant. The assembly also issued 
the Directory, as a substitute 
for the Book of Common 
Prayer. 

Westminster Confession. 

The confession of faith issued 
by the Westminster Assembly 
in 1643. It contains thirty- 
three articles, and is an expo- 
sition of the Calvinistic doc- 
trine. 

Westminster, Provisions of. 

A series of provisions based 
on those of Oxford, issued in 
1259, and afterwards embodied 
in the Statute of Marlborough. 

Westminster, Statutes of. 

The first Statute of West- 
minster was passed by the first 
Parliament of Edward I in 1275. 
It was practically a codification 
of previously existing laws and 
statutes which had not been 
fully enforced. It secured the 
Church in its rights, re-enacted 
the various charters, and re- 
formed many abuses in the 
administration of the law. The 
second Statute of Westminster 
is the Statute also known as 
De Donis Conditionalibus. 

Westminster, Synod of. 

A synod held in 1 102, at which 
decrees were issued against 
simony, marriage of the clergy 
and other ecclesiastical abuses, 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 277 



and also against the selling of 
men into slavery. 

Westphalia, Treaty of. 

This treaty, signed in 1648 
by France, Sweden and the 
Empire, put an end to the 
Thirty Years' War. It estab- 
lished and recognized Protest- 
antism in Germany, and made 
provision for the equal repre- 
sentation of the two religions 
in the German Diet. France 
obtained Alsace, Sweden se- 
cured Bremen, North Pomer- 
ania and Stettin, and there were 
certain changes among the 
smaller German States. 

Whigamores' Raid. 

A rising of the peasantry of 
the west of Scotland in 1648, 
in opposition to the supporters 
of the Engagement. 

Whigs. 

A name first applied to the 
Covenanters in the west of 
Scotland, and afterwards to the 
anti-Stuart party in England. 
They later represented the party 
of progress and reform, in 
which sense they were the pre- 
decessors of the Liberals. 

Whimsicals. 

The name given to the English 
Tories who supported the House 
of Hanover on the accession of 
George I. 

Whip with Six Lashes. 

The name given to the Six 
Articles of Henry VIII, issued 
in 1539. 

Whisky Insurrection. 

A serious rising in Western 
Pennsylvania in 1794, caused 
by an attempt of the authorities 
to suppress illicit distillation, 
which was rife in that region. 
Some six or seven thousand 



insurgents were in arms, and 
the outbreak was only sup- 
pressed after the militia of four 
of the neighbouring States had 
been called out. 

Whitby, Synod of. 

A synod held in 664, at which 
the Saxon Churches definitely 
decided to adhere to the Church 
of Rome, rather than to the 
Celtic Church founded in Ire- 
land by St, Columba. 

White Bands, The Parliament 
of. 

The name given to the Parlia- 
ment of 1 32 1, which banished 
the Despencers, owing to the 
followers of the Barons wearing 
white favours. 

White Capes. 

See Chaperons Blancs.- 

White Clergy. 

The parish priests in Russia 
are so called, as distinguished 
from the Black Clergy, or 
monastic priesthood. They take 
no part in ecclesiastical ad- 
ministration, and are permitted 
to marry. 

White Company. 

A famous band of mercen- 
aries which served in the French 
wars, and, after the Peace of 
Bretigny, in Italy. Its leader 
was Sir John Hawkwood. 

White Cross Knights. 

The Knights Hospitallers were 
so called. 

White Devil of Wallachia. 

The nickname given by the 
Turks to George Castriot (Is- 
kander Beg), the Albanian hero 
(1404-67). 

White League. 

An organization formed in 
the Southern States, after the 



278 DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



American Civil War, to prevent 
the exercise of the franchise by 
the coloured population. 

White Sheep. 

The Turcomans who overran 
Persia in 1468 were so called. 

White Ship. 

See Blanche Nef. 

Whiteboys. 

See Levellers. 

Whitecaps. 

A secret association in Indiana, 
U.S.A., formed originally as a 
vigilance society, which later 
was guilty of many outrages. 

Who Who Ministry. 

The ministry formed by Lord 
Derby in 1852. Many of its 
members were new to office, 
and the story goes that the Duke 
of Wellington, who was very 
deaf, was being told by Lord 
Derby the names of his col- 
leagues. At each unfamiliar 
name, the Duke kept ejacu- 
lating, Who ? Who ? 

Wild Geese. 

The name given to the Irish- 
men recruited by France for 
service in the Irish Brigade 
during the eighteenth century. 

Wills, Statute of. 

A statute passed in 1540, 
providing that land held in fee 
simple might be devised by will. 
This right had been greatly re- 
stricted by the Plantagenet 
legislation. 

William the Silent. 

The sobriquet of William, 
Prince of Orange (1533-84). 

Wilmot Proviso. 

An amendment, carried by 
Mr. David Wilmot, in the United 
States House of Representa- 



tives, to the Bill for the purchase 
of Mexican territory in 1846. 
It provided that neither slavery 
nor involuntary servitude should 
ever exist in the territory to be 
acquired. The amendment was 
thrown out by the Senate. 

Winchester, Statute of. 

A re-enactment in 1285 of the 
Assize of Arms of Henry II. 
It laid upon the counties the 
duty of keeping order within 
their boundaries, and of sup- 
pressing brigandage and high- 
way robbery, and defined their 
obligations towards the national 
defence. 

Winter King. 

The nickname of Frederick V, 
Elector Palatine, who was King 
of Bohemia during the winter 
of 1619-20. 

Wisbuy, Ordinances of. 

A code of maritime laws 
issued during the fourteenth 
century, governing the opera- 
tions of the Baltic traders. It 
takes its name from Wisbuy, 
a town in Gothland. 

Wisliza, Code of. 

A code of laws framed by 
Casimir the Great, in 1 347, which 
remained the basis of Polish 
legislation till the end of the 
eighteenth century. 

Witanagemot. 

In Saxon times, the central 
assembly of the nation, pre- 
sided over by the King or his 
representative. In early days 
it was open to all freemen, but 
later came to be composed of 
the nobles and thegns about the 
King's person. The word signi- 
fies the Assembly of the Wise. 

Wizard. 

John Sobieski, King of Poland 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 279 



(1674-96), was so called by the 
Turks. 

Wolverine State. 

The State of Michigan, U.S.A., 
is so called, because in early days 
it was infested with wolverines. 

Wonderful Parliament. 

A Parliament of Richard II, 
assembled in 1388. It consisted 
almost entirely of partisans of 
the Duke of Gloucester, and 
during a session of 122 days 
was mainly occupied in the 
removal of his enemies. It is 
also known as the Merciless 
Parliament. 

Wood's Halfpence. 

A controversy between the 
English and Irish Parliaments 
in 1722, over a patent granted 
to an Englishman named Wood, 
to coin copper money for issue 
in Ireland. Dean Swift's famous 
" Drapier's Letters " appeared 
on the Irish side of the contro- 
versy, and eventually the patent 
was withdrawn. 

World's Wonder. 

The sobriquet of Frederick II, 
Emperor of Germany (1215-50). 

Worms, Concordat of. 

A concordat negotiated at 
the Synod of Mayence, and pro- 
claimed at Worms in 1122, by 
which the Pope agreed to 
the election of bishops and abbots 
by their chapters, throughout 
the German Empire. The Em- 
peror renounced the right of 
investiture with the ring and 
staff, but it was agreed that 
this investiture should not take 
place till the newly elected 
prelate had sworn fealty to the 
Emperor. This concordat was 
confirmed by the first Lateran 
Council in 1123. 



Worms, Diet of. 

A Diet held in 1521, to which 
Luther was summoned, under 
a safe conduct, in order that 
he might have the opportunity 
of retracting his heresies. This 
he declined to do, and but for 
the assistance of the Elector of 
Saxony, he would very pro- 
bably have met with the fate 
of John Huss under similar 
circumstances. 

Worms, Edict of. 

An edict issued by the Diet 
of Worms in 1821, outlawing 
Luther, and all those who 
sheltered or aided him, or who 
printed, sold or read his works. 

Worms, Treaty of. 

An alhance between England, 
Holland, Austria, Saxony and 
Sardinia, signed in 1743, to up- 
hold the Pragmatic Sanction. 

Wiirtzburg, League of. 

A league of the Catholic 
princes of Germany, formed in 
1 6 10, under Maximilian of Ba- 
varia, to oppose the Protestant 
Union. 

Wyandotte Constitution. 

The Constitution of Kansas, 
adopted in 1859, under which 
Kansas was admitted to the 
Union. It abolished slavery 
throughout the State. 

Wyoming Massacre. 

During the American War of 
Independence in 1778, the settle- 
ment in the Valley of Wyoming, 
Pennsylvania, was attacked by 
the British, together with a band 
of Seneca Indians. Most of the 
able-bodied men were in the 
field under Washington, and 
only 300 opposed the British 
force, which overpowered them, 
and accepted their surrender. 



28o DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 



It was, however, impossible to 
control the Indians, who later 
again attacked the settlement, 
and massacred a large number 
of the inhabitants. 



X 

X Y Z Mission. 

An American mission des- 
patched to France in 1797. 
Attempts were made to bribe 
them, the agents employed 
using, in their correspondence, 
the initials X, Y, Z. 



Yandabo, Treaty of. 

A treaty between Great 
Britain and Burmah, signed in 
1826, at the end of the Burmah 
War of 1824, whereby Great 
Britain acquired Arrakan and 
Tenasserim. 

Yangtse Agreement. 

See Anglo-German Agreement. 

Yankee. 

The name first applied to 
the colonists in the New England 
States by the British soldiers 
during the American War of 
Independence. It is supposed 
to be derived from an Indian 
corruption of English—" Yen- 
gies," or " Yanghies." 

Year of Corbie. 

This name was given by the 
French during the Thirty Years* 
War to the year 1636, when the 
Imperial troops penetrated into 
France to Corbie, within fifty 
miles of Paris, and apparently 
had the capital at their mercy. 
They preferred, however, to 
retire, loaded with booty, but 
the imminent danger was long 



an unpleasant memory to the 

Parisians. 

Young Cub. 

Charles James Fox (1749- 
1806) was so called. 

Young Czechs. 

The Radical section of the 
Czech or National Party in 
Bohemia. 

Young England. 

The party of young Tories 
who strongly opposed the repeal 
of the Corn Laws from 1839 
to 1846, and favoured a return 
to the manners and customs of 
an earlier day. Among its leaders 
was Lord John Manners. 

Young Ireland Party. 

A party formed in Ireland in 
1847, as a rival association to the 
Repealers who followed O'Con- 
nell. Their leaders were Smith 
O'Brien, Meagher and Mitchel, 
and they were in favour of 
physical force rather than of 
constitutional agitation. An 
abortive attempt at a rising 
under their auspices in 1848 
was easily suppressed, and the 
society came to an end immedi- 
ately afterwards. 

Young Italy. 

A secret society founded by 
Mazzini about 1830, to work for 
the emancipation of Italy. 

Young Pretender. 

Charles Edward Stuart, son 
of James Edward, and grand- 
son of James II, was so called 
by the supporters of the Hano- 
verian succession. 

Young Turks. 

The Turkish reform party. 
For obvious reasons they are 
for the most part resident 
beyond the limits of the Turkish 
Empire. 



DICTIONARY OF HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS 281 



Zanzibar, Treaty of. 

.A treaty between Germany 
and Zanzibar, signed in 1885. 
The Sultan of Zanzibar thereby 
recognized Germany's rights 
over Chagga and Kilimanjaro, 
and accorded certain trade 
facilities to the German East 
Africa Company. 

Zaporovian Commonwealth. 

A community of Free 
Cossacks on the Dnieper. They 
were not finally deprived of 
their independence till the reign 
of Catherine II, circ. 1780. 

Zehngerichtenbund. 
See Ten Jurisdictions. 

Zelanti. 

A body of Cardinals, headed 
by Cardinal Orsini, who had 
great influence in Rome circ. 
1700, and whose efforts were 
directed towards stricter dis- 
cipline in the Church. 

Zemindars. 

Under the Mohammedan 
rulers of India, the Zemindars 
were officers who were charged 
with the collection of taxes 
over a certain district. In 1793 
these officers were, in Bengal, 
converted by Lord Cornwallis 
into landowners, each in his 
own district, who alone paid 
land-tax to the Government, 
and recouped themselves by 
rents received from the peasants 
or ryots. This system is known 
as the Zemindari System. 



Zemstvo. 

The Russian provincial and 
district assemblies are so called. 
The Zemstvo is elected, in cer- 
tain fixed proportions, by the 
landowners, the village com- 
munes and the muncipalities. 
It meets at least once a year, but 
has a permanent bureau, always 
in session, chosen from among 
its members for executive pur- 
poses. It is charged with the 
maintenance of roads and 
bridges and other public works, 
and the supervision of education, 
sanitation and agriculture. It 
also elects the local justices of 
the peace. 

Zollverein. 

A union of the German States 
for commercial purposes, entered 
into under the auspices of 
Prussia in 1833. It provided 
for free internal trade, and a 
uniform system of customs 
duties for the whole union. 

Zurich, Compromise of. 

An attempt by Calvin and 
Farel, in 1549, to amalgamate 
the different doctrines of Calvin 
and Zwingli. It met with little 
acceptance on the part of the 
Protestant Cantons. 

Zurich, Treaty of. 

A treaty signed in 1859 con- 
firming the Treaty of Villafranca, 
which provided for the cession 
by Austria of Lombardy, to be 
transferred by France to Sar- 
dinia. 



INDEX 



Aargau, 231. 
Abbaside Khalifs, 23. 
Abd-el-Kader, 247. 
Abdallah, King of Granada, i. 
Abdul Hamed, Sultan of Turkey, 

140. 
Abdul Mejid, Sultan of Turkey, 115. 
Aboyne, Lord, 42. 
Abyssinia, 2, 172. 
Acre, 134- 

Adams, Samuel, 91, 171. 
Adansi, 96. 
Addison, Joseph, 139. 
Adige (River), 154. 
Adjanta Ghat, 235. 
Adrian I, Pope, 78. 
Adrian IV, Pope, 3. 
Adrian VI, Pope, 218. 
Adrianople, 3. 

Adolphus Frederick of Holstein, 2. 
iEthelfled, 95, 141. 
JEtheked I, 176. 
iEthelred the Unready, 72, 104, 

118,221. 
iEthelstan, 117. 
^thelwulf, 193. 
Afghanistan, 103, 105, 166, 188, 

217, 234. 
Afridis, 105, 166. 

Agilulf, King of the Lombards, 129. 
Ahausen, 204. 

Ahmed I, Sultan of Turkey, 174. 
Ahmednaggar, 235. 
Aix-la-Chapelle, Peace of, 20, 201. 
Alabama, 112. 
Alabama claims, 275. 
Alaska, 11, 26. 
Albania, 130, 277. 
Albert II, Emperor, 201. 
Albert of Brandenburg, 251. 
Albuquerque, Alfonso d', 200. 
Alemtejo, 97. 
Alenfon, 106. 



Alengon, Due d', 201. 

Alexander III, Pope, 3, 48, 190. 

Alexander IV, Pope, 150. 

Alexander V, Pope, 122, 196, 226. 

Alexander VI, Pope, 75, 122, 222. 

Alexander I of Russia, 261. 

Alexander II of Russia, 174, 230. 

Alexander I of Scotland, 232. 

Alexander III of Scotland, 156. 

Alexandria, 13, 70. 

Alfonso I of Aragon, 93. 

Alfonso III of Aragon, 13. 

Alfonso V of Spain, 102. 

Alfonso VI of Spain, 53. 

Alfonso the Wise, 234. 

Alfred the Great, 79, 141, 160, 170, 
276. 

Algarves, 97. 

Algeria, 233, 247- 

Allahabad, 27. 125. 

Allen, Cardinal, 3. 

Alsace, 99, 163, 191, 277- 

Al thorp. Lord, 128. 

Alva, Duke of, 33, 245. 

Amadeus V of Savoy, 12. 

Amatongaland, 246. 

Amazon (River), 43. 

Ambojma, 239. 

Amiens, 270. 

Amoy, 180. 

Amsterdam, 225. 

Amurath I, Sultan of Turkey, 131. 

Anabaptists, 213. 

AnatoUa, 14. 

Ancona, 256. 

Andrassy, Count, 10. 

Andres, Last of the Incas, 213. 

Andrew II of Hungary, 107. 

Anglo-Saxons, 34, 39, 50, 82, 88, 92, 
95, 96, 100, 103, 104, 116, 117, 
118, 122, 142, 1495 156, 160, 181, 
221, 222, 232, 238, 249, 251, 260, 
263, 272, 276, 278. 



284 



INDEX 



Angola, 63. 

Angus, Archibald Sixth Earl of, 18. 

Aniello, Tommaso, 161. 

Anjou, I, 38, loi. 

Annam, 31, 99, 121, 254. 

Anne Boleyn, 244. 

Anne de Joyeuse, 217. 

Anne of England, 37, 88, 149, 192, 

23, 206, 231, 246, 253, 267. 
Anne of Austria, 82. 
Anne, Regent of France, 112, 1^4- 
Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, 

26. 
Anspach, 204, 227. 
Antigua, 38. 
Antrim, 242. 

Antwerp, loi, 158, 239, 274. 
Appenzell, 144, 252. 
Arabi Pasha, 81. 
Arabia, 166, 274. 
Arad, 122. 

Aragon, 13, 135, 167. 
Arbitration Tribunal, 113. 
Archaicus of Scotland, 253. 
Arcis-sur-Aube, 15. 
Ardalian, 28. 
Ardrossan, 274. 
Argentine Republic, 104, 196, 259, 

269. 
Argyll, Archibald Fifth Earl of, 69. 
Argyll, Archibald Eighth Earl of, 

124, 213, 214. 
Arizona, 103. 
Arkansas, 26. 

Arlington, Henry Earl of, 42. 
Arma'^nacs, 185, 262. 
Armellini, 218. 
Armenians, 112, 118. 
Arminians, 65, 79, 108, 213. 
Armstrong, William, 138. 
Arnauld, Antoine, 131, 199. 
Arnold of Brescia, 117. 
Arracan, 280. 
Arteveldt, James van, 39. 
Artois, 105, 158, 205. 
Ashanti, 96. 
Ashbourne, Lord, 128. 
Ashley, Earl of Shaftesbury, 42. 
Assi, 60. 

Assumptionists, 18. 
Atalanta, 232. 
Athens, 78. 
Athole, Earl of, 206. 
Atterbury, Bishop, 19. 
Auckland, Lord, 234. 
Auerstadt, Battle of, 31. 
Augsburg Confession, 203, 227. 249. 



Augsburg, Diet of, 235. 
Augsburg, League of, 220. 
Augsburg, Religious Peace of, 212. 
Augustinus, 124, 131. 
Augustus II of Poland, 197, 224. 
Austeilitz, Battle of, 253. 
Australia, 20, 91, 100, 124. 
Austrian Succession, War of the, 

201. 
Auxerre, 15. 

Avalos, Ferdinand de, 225. 
Avignon, 256. 
Azores, 75. 
Azov, 140, 204. 

Babek, 136. 

Bacon, Nathaniel, 21, 109. 

Baden, 105, 202, 215. 

Bagimont of Vicci, 21. 

Baillie of Jerviswood, 132. 

Baji Rao II, 23. 

Bakunin, Michael, 127. 

Balaclava, Battle of, 73. 

Balasore, 75. 

Baldwin I of Flanders, 37. 

Balfour, A. J., 98. 

Balfour, Sir James, 69. 

Ballard, Father, 21. 

Balliol, Edward, 67, 156. 

Balliol, John, 256. 

Baltic, 239, 251, 278. 

Baltimore, Lord, 161. 

Baner, Johan Gustafsson, 148. 

Bantry Bay, 175. 

Baramahal, 230. 

Barbaroux, 92. 

Barbes, 222. 

Barbiano, Count, 221. 

Barcelona, 64. 

Barclay, Sir George, 16. 

Barebone, Praise -God, 23, 176. 

Barlaymont, 65. 

Barlow, Sir George, 155. 

Bameveldt, Jan van Olden, 15. 

Baro (River), 2. 

Baroda, 23. 

Barre, Isaac, 238. 

Barrot, Odilon, 61. 

Barton, Elizabeth, 177. 

Basle, 225, 252. 

Bassano, Due de, 164, 254. 

Bassein, 193, 245. 

Basutos, 7, 124, 175. 237, 251. 

Batapins, 242. 

Bates' Case, 35. 

Bath, William, Earl of, 233. 

Batman, John, 199. 



INDEX 



285 



Batoum, 28. 

Bautzen, Battle of, 236. 

Bavaria, 19, 25, 103, 105, 150, 215 » 

221, 235» 271. 
Bayard, Seigneur de, 52. 
Bayonne, 1. 
Beaconsfield, Lord, 28. 
Beauge, Battle of, 262. 
Bechuanaland, 136, 168, 242- 
Becket, Thomas a, 65. 
Bedford, John, Duke of, 94- 
Bedford, J ohn. Fourth Duke of, 26. 
Belesme, 106. 
Belfort, 100. 
Belgium, 7> 27, 45. 57, 151, i54, 

187, 215, 228. 
Benedict IX, Pope, 37. 
Benedict XII, Pope, 213. 
Benedict XIII, Pope, 196. 

Bengal, 281. 

Benigsen, Baron, 171. 

Berar, 75, 198. 

Berenger, Loi, 150. 

Berg, 215. 

Berghem, 158. 

Berlichingen, Gotz von, 130, 191. 

Berlin, 4, 63, 134. 

Berlin Congress, 120, 224. 

Bermudez, 88. 

Bernadotte, 37. 

Bernard, 222. 

Berne, 46, 84, 146, 200, 208, 231, 
256. 

Berri, Due de, 63. 

Berry, Sir Graham, 86- 

Bessarabia, 27, 28. 

Bessborough, Earl of, 29. 

Beza, 58. 

Bezuidenhout, Jan, 236. 

Billioray, 60. 

Birmingham, 210. 

Biron, Baron de, 30. 

Biscav, 46. 

Bismarck, Otto von, 33, 46, 48, 
99, 112, 120, 129, 134. 164, 212, 
214. 

Black Sea, 5, 27, 32, 47, 136, 188, 
220. 

Blackburn, 32. 

Blackheath, 96. 

Blaine, J. G., 35, 185, 248. 

Blair, F. P., 139. 

Blanche of Castile, 24. 

Bland, Mr., 32. 

Blanqui, Louis Auguste, 60, 222. 

Blennerhassett, Harman, 42. 

Bligh, Admiral, 36. 



Bloemfontein, 33. 

Blount, Sir James, 239. 

Blucher, Marshal, 98. 

Blue Nile, 2. 

Boccold, John, 9. 

Boer War, 4, 61, 114, 157. i7i> 269. 

Bogdan of Moldavia, 166. 

Bohemia, 157, 168, 179, 180, 201, 

202, 280. 
BoUngbroke, Henry, Viscount, 178, 

190. 
BoUvar, Simon, 109, 147, 255. 
Bolivia, 9, 184, 225. 
Bologna, 10, 145. 
Bombay, 35, 189. 
Bond, Sir Robert, 35. 
Boniface VIII, Pope, 56, 146, 191, 

264. 
Bonnivard, Francois de, 203. 
Booth, John Wilkes, 35. 
Bordeaux, i, 182, 196. 
Boris of Russia, 75. 
Bosnia, 28, 2i7' 
Bosphorus, 188, 266. 
Bossuet, 56, 211. 
Boston, 36, 69, 211, 249. 
Bothwell, 48, 69. 
Bouillon, Godefroi de, 56, 146. 
Boulanger, General, 36. 
Boulogne, 36, 48. 
Boulonnais, 15. 
Bourbon, Adalbert de, 172. 
Bourbon, Cardinal de, 133. 
Bourbon, Due de, 29, 201. 

Boiurbon, General de, 32. 

Bourbons, 46, 276. 

Bourges, 190. 

Bover, 126. 

Boycott, Captain, 37. 

Boyens, Adrian, 225. 

Brabant, 76, 105, 133, 163. 

Bradlaugh, Charles, 203. 

Braemar, Hunting of, 122. 

Brahminism, 16, 37, 104, 139, 
234» 2.44» 245» 268. 

Brazil, 43, 74, 87, 256, 259, 261. 

Breda, 38. 

Brederode, Count Henry of, 112. 

Bregeiiz, 144. 

Bremen, 100, 114, ^42, :;77« 

Brescia, 117. 

Bresse, 256. 

Bretigny, Peace of, 100, 277. 

Bretwalda, ii7- 

Bridgwater, 138. 

Briel, 49. 

Bright, John, 3, 39, loi, 120, 260. 



286 



INDEX 



Brissot, J. P., 39. 

Bristol, 39. 

British Columbia, 11, 45. 

British Guiana, 180, 227, 269. 

British South Africa Company, 

131- 
Brittany, 18, 38, 106. 
Brittany, Duke of, 29, 63. 
Brooke, George, 42. 
Brown, John, 115. 
Brown, Major-General, i. 
Brownists, 125. 
Bruce, Robert, 176, 209. 
Bruges, 107, 158. 
Brunswick, Duke of, 31. 
Brussels, 40, 193. 
Buccleugh, Lord of, 138. 
Bucer, Martin, 251. 
Buchanan, Mr., 183. 
Buckingham, George Villiers, Duke 

of, 42. 
Bulgaria, 6, 24, 28, 41, 55, 224, 237- 
Bundelcund, 207. 
Burdett, Sir Francis, 207. 
Burgos, 41. 
Burgundians, 261. 
Burgundy, 15, no, i55» 163. 
Bmrgundy, Duke of, 29. 
Burke, Edward, 2. 
Bxurke, T. H., 127, 195. 
Burleigh, Cecil Lord, 50. 
Burmah, 71, 119, 280. 
Bums, John, 257. 
Burr, Aaron, 42. 
Burrard, Sir Harry, 54. 

Caboche, 43. 

Cade, Jack, 60, 198. 

Cadiz, 64. 

Cadiz. Duke of, 239. 

Cadoudal, Georges, 53, 195. 

Cahors, 9. 

Cairns, Earl, 98, 230. 

Calais, 38. 

Calcutta, 31. 

CaHfornia, 13, 61, 107, in, 143, 

169. 
Cahxtus II, Pope, 143. 
Callao, 147. 

Calvin, John, 44, 63, 116, 199, 281. 
Calvinists, 44, 63, 108, 116, 122, 

141, 147. 
Cambacer6s, Jean Jacques de, 58. 
Cambray, Peace of, 184. 
Cambridge, 266. 
Camerata, Count, 218. 
Cameron, Richard, 44, 224. 



Camisards, 87. 

Campbells, 107. 

Canada, 16, 45, 56, 81, 92, 95, 96, 

113, 114, 121, 191, 206, 209, 

216, 261. 
Canning, George, 135. 
Canning, Lord, 56, 183. 
Canning, Sir Stratford, 85, 115. 
Canossa, 46. 
Canton, 180, 247. 
Cape Cod, 162. 
Cape Colony, 3, 31, 33, 41, 59»''76» 

82, 94, 106, 116, 118, 123, 135, 

138, 171, 186, 187, 197, 204, 

236, 259, 276. 
Cape Verde, 256. 
Cappel, 46. 
Caraffa, John, 251. 
Carbonari, 224. 
Card well. Lord, 15. 
Careha, 177, 243. 
Caribbean Sea, 40, 239. 
Carisbrooke, 273. 
Carlisle, 138. 
CarHsts, 28. 
Carlos, Don, 46. 
Carlo witz, Treaty of, 190. 
Carlsbad, 47. 
Carlyle, Thomas, 266. 
Carmarthen, Lord, 175. 
Carmel Mount, 47. 
Carnarvon, Lord, 232. 
Carnot, Lazare Nicolas, 182. 
Carolina, 47, 166. 
Caroline Islands, 47. 
Carrier, 177. 
Carpathians, 248. 
Cartwright, Thomas, 3. 
Casimir the Great of Poland, 278. 
Caspian Sea, 112. 
Cassano, Battle of, 150. 
Cassilis, Earl of, 18. 
Cassini, Count, 48. 
Castriot, George, 6, 130, 277. 
Castro, Thomas, 55. 
Catalonia, 4. 

Cateau Cambresis, Treaty of, 270. 
Catesby, Robert, 112. 
Catherine of Aragon, 177, 244. 
Catherine of France, 261. 
Catherine II of Russia, 49, 67, 132, 

140, 166, 197, 229, 243, 248, 281. 
Cavagnari, Sir Louis, 104. 
Cavaignac, General, 18. 
Cavendish, Lord Frederick, 127 195. 
Cavour, Count, 130. 
Cawnpore, 50. 



INDEX 



287 



Cayenne, 38. 

Cayugas, 96. 

Cecil, Earl of Salisbury, 42. 

Cerdagne, 23. 

Cellier, Mrs., 162. 

Celts, 29, 38, 88. 

Central America, 53. 62, 72, 185. 

Cevennes, 262. 

Ceylon, 9. 

Chagga, 281. 

Chalmers, Dr., 100, 270. 

Chamberlain, Joseph, 58, 120, 219. 

Chambord, Comte de, 146. 

Chambul (River), 207. 

Chang How, 140. 

Chantaboon, 99. 

Charleroi, 24. 

Charlemagne, 78, 119. 185, 269. 

Charles of Anjou, 233. 

Charles, Archduke of Austria, 239. 

Charles of Blois, 252. 

Charles, Dauphin of France, 38. 

Charles I of England, 15, 25, 28, 

33, 50, 84, 87, 95, 106, 124, 152, 

155, 161, i74» 176, i94» 211, 213, 

219, 224, 233, 238, 244. 260, 

266, 267, 273- 
Charles II of England, i, 30, 31. 35. 

38, 42, 47. 55. 58, 66, 69, 74. 79. 

89, III, 121, 132, 148, 163, 179. 

194, 199, 203, 211, 213, 220, 238, 

241, 256, 260, 269. 
Charles I of France (the Bold), 40, 

163, 178, 269. 
Charles III of France (the Simple), 

Charles V of France, 25, 60. 
Charles VI of France, 14, 181, 262. 
Charles VII of France, 15. 99. 200, 

201. 
Charles VIII of France, 23. 
Charles IX of France, 131, 221, 261. 
Charles X of France, 134, i8i, 215. 
Charles IV of Germany, 107, 194. 
Charles V of Germany, 23, 44. 47. 

48, 93, 105, 107, 119, 125. 127, 

135. 153. 155. 184, 190, 210, 212, 

218, 225, 228, 256. 
Charles VI of Germany, 20, 200. 
Charles VII of Germany, 99. 
Charles III of Savoy, 12, 239. 
Charles II of Spain, 239. 
Charles III of Spain, 201. 
Charles IV of Spain, 97, i99. 203. 
Charles X of Sweden, 217. 
Charles XII of Sweden, 6, 39, 155, 

204, 207, 224- 



Charles the Bold of Burgimdy/^igs. 

Charles the Good of Flanders,^i44. 

Charleston, 211. 

Charolais, Comte de, 63. 

Charterhouse, 48. 

Chartres, 51, 152. 

Chartreuse, Grande, 48. 

Chattanooga, Battle of, 50. 

Chef 00, 52. 

Cherboiurg, 43. 

Chesnelong, M. de, 265. 

Chester, 52, 68. 

Chiavenna, 167-. 

Chicago, 91. 

Chihli, 247. 

Chile, 9, 168, 184, 192, 225. 

Chillon, Castle of, 203. 

China, 4, 10, 19, 37, 48, 52, 97. no, 
140, 148, 152, 159. 164, 170, 
172, 180, 186, 192, 233, 234, 247, 
254. 259. 262, 274- 

Chinandega, 53. 

Choshiu, 71. 

Chotusitz, Battle of, 38. 

Chouiski, 27. 

Christian (Mate of the Bounty), 36* 

Christian of Anhalt, 204. 

Christian II of Denmark, 33. 

Christian III of Denmark, 91, 208. 

Christian IV of Denmark, 153. 

Christian V of Denmark, 72, 85, 

135- 
Christian IX of Denmark, 226. 
Christian of Schleswig Holstein, 

15, 226. 
Christian of Spain, 53, 88, 140. 
Christina of Sweden, 165, 237- 
Churchill, Lord Randolph, 98, 257- 
Cinq Mars, 53. 
Cis-Alpine Repubhc, 45. 
Ciudad Rodrigo, 256. 
Clare, County, 250, 257. 
Clare, Richard de, 192, 243. 
Clarendon, Lord, 47. 55- 
Clay, Henry, 147, 228. 
Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, 55, 116. 
Clement V, Pope, 21, 249, 251, 272 

273- 
Clement VII, Pope, 23, 119, 226. 
Clement XIV, Pope, 78, 124. 
Cleveland, President, 170, 180, 

269. 
CHfford, Lord High Treasurer, 42. 
ChfEord, Mr. (O.P. Riots), i77- 
Clovis, 222. 
Cluseret, 60. 
Cobbett, W., 207. 



INDEX 



Cobden, Richard, 12, loi, 159. 

Cobham, Lord, 42. 

Cochin China, 99. 

Cochrane, Earl of Mar, 27. 

Cockerton, T. B., 57. 

Cognac, 221. 

Colbert, J. B., 141. 

Coligay, Admiral, 221. 

CoUey, General, 157. 

CoUings, Jesse, 253' 

Cologne, 114, 228. 

Colombia, United States of, 186. 

Colorado, 50. 

Columbia, District of, 61. 

Columbus, Ohio, 141. 

Columbus, Christopher, 222. 

Combes, M., 18, 33- 

Comyn, Alexander, 209. 

Conde, Louis, Prince de, 7, 82, 228. 

Conde, Henri, Prince de, 184. 

Condorcanqui, 213- 

Conflans, Treaty of, 29. 

Congo Free State, 63, 40, 127- 

Conkling, Roscoe, 240. 

Connaught, 34, 60, 257. 

Connecticut, 34, 62, loi, 113, i53» 

173. ^77, 252. 
Connemara, 121. 
Conrad II, Emperor, 190. 
Conrad III, Emperor, 112. 
Constance, 144. 

Constance, Council of, 123, 226. 
Constance, Diet of, 259- 
Constance, Peace of, 150. 
Constantine, Grand Duke of Russia, 

Constantinople, 14, 226, 233. 

Conway (American Cabal), 43. 

Corbie, 280. 

Cornwall, 96, 241. 

Cornwallis, Lord, 28, i75> 198. 

281. 
Corsica, 130. 
Corsini, Count, 218. 
Cortes, Hernando, 175. 
Corti, Count, 67 
Cossacks, 281. 
Courtrai, Battle of, 240. 
Courtray, 4. 
Couthon, G., 172. 
Covenanters, 144. 207, 224, 245, 

261, 275. 277- 
Coventry, 266. 
Coventry, Sir James, 69. 
Cowper -Temple, 69. 
Cranborne, Lord, 145. 
Craven, Lord, 47. 



Crete, 70. 

Crichtons of Frendraught, 41. 

Crim Tartary, 67, 140. 

Crimea, 140, 188, 197, 225. 

Croatia, 235. 

Croker, John Wilson, 63. 

Cromwell, Oliver, 74, 94* 121, 125, 
126, 130, 146, 152, 157. 179. 184, 
194, 211, 213, 214, 219, 228, 230, 
231, 260, 273. 

Cromwell, Richard, 38, 206. 

Crusades, 7, 222. 

Cuba, 8, 206, 209. 

Culloden, Battle of, 42, 98, 143. 

Cumberland, Duke of, 42, 56, 98. 

Cunningham Graham, 257* 

Curran, J. P., 265. 

Custer, General, 71. 

Cuyuni (River), 268. 

Cyprus, 71. 

Czartoryski, Adam, 261. 

Czechs, 201, 280. 

D'Alembert, J. le R., 87. 

D'Artois, Comte, 195. 

D'Avila, Sancho, 239. 

D'Enghien, Due, 195. 

D'Este, Marquis, 150. 

D'Estrees, Marechal, 56. 

Dalai Lama, 250. 

Dalhousie, Lord, 245, 247, 253. 

Dalmatia, 45, 130, 181. 

Dalrymple, Sir Hew, 54. 

Damascus, 145. 

Danes, 72, 82, 95, 142, 221, 275. 

276. 
Dangerfield, 162. 
Danton, G. J., 143, 165, i6g. 
Dantzig, 114, 197. 
Danube, 3, 32, 72, 122, 188. 
Dardanelles, 188, 266. 
Dardanelles, Treaty of, 134. 
Darling, Sir Charles, 270. 
Darnley, Lord, 48, 220. 
Dashkoff, Princess, 49. 
Daulat Rao Sindhia, 235. 
David I of Scotland, 211. 
Davis, Jefferson, 62. 
Davitt, Michael, 142. 
De I'Hopital, Chancellor, 169, 182, 

2T8. 

De la Marck, William, 26. 

De Lesseps, Comte 186. 

De Montfort, Count Simon, 6. 

De Montford, Simon, Earl of 

Leicester, 24, 77, 136, 146. 
DeThou, 54. 



INDEX 



289 



De Witte, Admiral, 38. 

Deccan, 195. 

Defoe, D., 145. 

Delagoa Bay Railway, 81. 

Delaware, 35, 76, 161, 176, 252. 

Delaware (River), 95. 

Demarcation, Bull of, 256. 

Demetrius Ivanovitch of Russia, 
75. 

Denkera, 96. 

Denmark, 33, 35, 38, 40, 72, 82, 85, 
91, 114, 135, 137, 139, 151, 153, 
20S, 216, 217, 226, 239, 255, 265, 
274. 

Derby, 95. 

Derby, Edward, Earl of, 75, 145, 
220, 249, 278. 

Dermot, King of Leinster, 243. 

Derry, 264. 

Derwentwater, Lord, 94* 

Deshima, 8. 

Desmond, Earl of, 162. 

Desraoulins, Camille, 143. 

Despard, Colonel, 76. 

Despencers, The, 277. 

Devonshire, WUliam, ist Duke of, 
175. 

Devonshire, Spencer, 8 th Duke of, 
39» 120. 

Dhiileep Singh, 141, 205. 

Diaz de Vivar, Rodrigo, 53. 

Diderot, Denis, 87. 

Dindigul, 230. 

Dingaan, 76. 

Dinizulu, 173. 

Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl of Beacons- 
field, 145, 249. 

Dnieper (River), 67, 197, 281. 

Dniester (River), 132. 

Doab, 141. 

Doctrinaires, 180. 

Dollinger, Dr., 179. 

Dominicans, 126. 

Don (River), 67. 

Donauworth, Troubles of, 204. 

Donegal, Marquis of, 242. 

Dongan, Thomas, 79. 

Donis, Statute de, 276. 

Donnelly, Ignatius, 199. 

Doria, Andrea, 91, 93. 

Dorr, Thomas W., 79. 

Dorset, Earl of, 175. 

Dort, Synod of, 15, 108. 

Dost Mahomed, 234. 

Dozsa, George, 80, 140. 

Douglas, Archibald, Earl of Angus, 
27. 



Douglas, Sir James, 79. 

Douglasses, The, 56. 

Dover, 54. 

Dow Win Sheou, 186. 

Down, County, 242. 

Drake, Sir Francis, 127. 

Drakensberg, 171. 

Drapier's Letters, 279. 

Dreyfus, Captain, 80. 

Druses, 145. 

Drutsch (River), 197. 

Du Breuil, Peter, 153. 

Du Tremblay, Frangois, 37, 86. 

Dublin, 48, 195. 

Duclair, 81. 

Duguesclin, Bertrand, 82. 

Dunbar, 30, 67. 

Dimbar, Earl of, 132. 

Dimes, Battle of, 205. 

Dunois, Jean, 25. 

Dunraven, Earl of, 129. 

Durham, 68. 

Dwina (River), 197. 

Eadgar, 82. 

East Africa, 118. 

East Anglia, 276. 

Eastern Question, 5, 10, 21, 22, 
24, 28, 32, 41, 48, 67, 70, 7i» 72, 
81, 115, 118, 132, 140, 145, 151, 
188, 194, 205, 217, 220, 224, 225, 
234» 235, 266, 271, 280. 

Eddystone, no. 

Edinburgh, 199, 265. 

Edmund Ironside, 130. 

Edward I of England, 16, 38, 39, 
5i» 54, 56, 59, 62, 67, 79, "4» 
149, 152, 156, 163, 172, 188, 192, 
207, 215, 247, 274, 275, 276. 

Edward II of England, 181, 232, 
240. 

Edward III of England, 38, 42, 67, 
104, 108, 137, 141, 150, 158, 176, 
192, 204, 223, 241, 256, 258. 

Edward IV of England, 28, 149, 
152, 191. 

Edward VI of England, 5, 138, 214, 
235, 236, 245, 264. 

Edward the Black Prince, 32, 90, 
98. 

Egremont, Lord, 261. 

Egypt, 9, II, 13, 67, 72, 81, 92, 
113, 134, 148, 159, 244. 

El Dorado, 159. 

Elba, 97, 122. 

Elbe (River), 255. 

Electors (Germany), 107. 

u 



290 



INDEX 



Elizabeth of England, 3, 13, 17. 
21, 49, 72, 75. 85, 118, 129, 137. 
138, 157, 163, 198, 209, 215, 228, 
245. 252, 253, 260, 265, 272. 

EUenborough, Lord, 183, 247. 

Elmira, 96. 

Emery, 255' 

Emma of Normandy, 104. 

Emmet, Robert, 86. 

Engadine, 108. 

English Acts and Statutes, 6, 13, 17. 
20, 22, 29, 36, 39» 45» 49» 54. 55. 
58, 65, 66, 69, 70, 77, 83, 84, 85, 
86, 89, 94, 95, 97, 98, 106, 108, 
109, III, 113, 115, 117, 118, 120, 
121, 124, 125, 128, 129, 131, 133, 
137, 141, 146, 147, 149, 160, 163, 
164, 168, 178, 194, 196, 197, 198, 
200, 203, 204, 207, 209, 210, 211, 
212, 215, 216, 218, 219, 226, 229, 
230, 231, 235. 240, 241, 244, 245, 
247. 249, 250, 251, 255, 256, 258, 
260, 262, 264, 265, 266, 274, 276, 
278. 

English Church, 27, 45. 60, 63, 74, 
85, 98, 114, 181, 121, 141. 144. 
161, 164, 170, 172, 184, 201, 205, 
206, 225. 226, 231, 235. 249. 251. 
252, 276, 277. 

EngUsh Civil War, i, 23, 33, 50, 
70, 87, 94, 95, 106, 123, 124, 125, 
137, 146, 152, 155. 158, 173. 174. 
209, 211, 213, 214, 219, 221, 238, 
241, 263, 267, 273. 275- 

English Political Parties, i, 3, 8, 
12, 37, 50, 60, 63, 68, 98, 120, 
133. 147, 190. 207, 219, 247, 249. 
256, 277- 

Eperies, 34. 

Erastus, 87. 

Eric of Norway, 156. 

Eric the Red, 8, 272. 

Erie Ring, 248. 

Eritrea, 2. 

Erivan, 257- 

Erpingham, Battle of, 152. 

Erskine, Thomas, Lord, 102. 

Esk (River), 73. 

Essex, Lord, 220, 229. 

Esthonia, 177. 

Eugenius IV, Pope, 24. 

Evesham, Battle of, 77. 

Eyre, Governor, 168. 

Ezzelino of Verona, 150. 

Falk, Dr., 90. 
Falk Laws, 140. 



Falkland, Lord, 109. 

Faneuil Hall, 69. 

Farel, G., 281. 

Faroe Islands, 137. 

Fastolfe, Sir John, 118. 

Faveau, 161. 

Fawkes, Guido, 112. 

Fawkner, J. P. ,,199. 

Fecamp, 43. 

Ferdinand I, Emperor, 43. 

Ferdinand II, Emperor, 153, 214, 

252. 
Ferdinand III, Emperor, 16, 252. 
Ferdinand II of Naples, 35. 
Ferdinand I of Spain, 53. 
Ferdinand V of Spain, 23, 53. 125, 

222. 
Ferdinand VII of Spain, 44, 46, 64. 

141, 201. 
Ferrara, 145, 
Ferry, Jules, 180, 256. 
Feudalism, 3, 15, 22, 59. 92, 93, 98. 

loi, 139, 152, 157. 190. 194. 198. 

202, 212, 218, 238, 244. 268, 272, 

275. 
Fifth Monarchy Men, 269* 
Fingoes, 242. 
Finland, i, 100, 177. 
Fisheries, 99, loi, 113, 187, 192, 267. 
Fitzgerald, Lord Edward, 174. 
Fitzgeralds, 105. 
Flammock, Thomas, 96. 
Flanders, 38, 39, 105, 144, 152, 

155. 239, 241. 
Flesselles, Prevdt des Marches, 171- 
Flood, Henry, 234. 
Florence, 12, 15, 29, 91, 191, 195* 

218. 
Florida, 112, 149, 187, 192, 270. 
Foix, Gaston de, 254. 
Fontenay, Battle of, 40, 178. 
Foochow, 180. 
Forest Cantons, 84. 
Forest, Edwin, 18. 
Formosa, 97, 233. 
Forster, W. E., 84. 
Fotheringay, 21. 
Fouche, Joseph, 195. 
Fouquier-Tinville, 250. 
Fourier, Charles, 98. 
Fox, Charles James, 164, 280. 
Fox, George, 205. 
Fraga, 93. 

Franche Comte, 4, i74- 
Francis I of France, 44, 62,''92. 

93, 106, 119, 155, 184, 193, 256, 

272, 274- 



INDEX 



291 



Francis II of France, 7. 
Francis II of Naples, 44, 130. 
Francis Joseph of Austria, 62. 
Francis, Sir Philip, 134. 
Franconia, 19, 116, 191, 236. 
Frankfort, 49, 100, 215. 
Franks, 7, 51, 170, 171. 
Frederick II of Brandenburg, 130. 
Frederick VII of Denmark, 226. 
Frederick V, Elector Palatine, 252, 

278. 
Frederick I, Emperor, 64, 150, 190, 

218. 
Frederick II, Emperor, 22, 154, 

279- 
Frederick III, Emperor, 14. 
Frederick, Emperor of Germany, 

266. 
Frederick I of Prussia, 31, 70. 
Frederick II (the Great) of Prussia, 

5, 7, 38, 103, 142, 197, 203, 224, 

232. 
Frederick Charles, Prince of 

Prussia, 209. 
Frederick William IV of Prussia, 56, 

139, 266. 
French Acts and Edicts, 18, 25, 28, 

51, 97, 100, 131, 150, 162, 164, 

169, 172, 174, 181, 182, 202, 206, 

210, 236, 245, 272. 
French Pohtical Parties, 36, 124, 

143, 169, 180, 196, 198, 208, 250, 

251, 254- 

French Revolution, 8, 17, 22, 25, 
38, 39, 42, 43, 53» 54. 66, 75. 76, 
77, 86, 87, 93. 95. 100, 103, 115, 
117, 119, 124, 126, 132, 133, 139. 
143, 165, 167, 169, 172, 177. 182, 
195, 216, 224, 229, 243, 245, 250, 

252, 260. 
Frendaught, 41. 
Fribourg, 252. 
Friesland, 37, 266. 
Frisia, 145. 
Friuli, 45. 

Frobisher, Martin, 127. 
Frost (Chartist), 51- 
Fiirstof Uri, in. 
Fusen, 220. 

Fyrd, 257. 

Gaboon, 65. 
Gadesden, James, 103. 
Gaekwar, The, 198. 
Gage, Thomas, 159. 
Gaikas, 242. 
Galetti, Count, 218. 



Galicia, 197, 271. 

GaUifet, Marquis de, 60. 

Galway, 245. 

Gambetta, Leon, 180. 

Ganges (River), 235. 

Garfield, President, 113, 168, 240. 

Garibaldi, Giuseppe, 44, 104, 130. 

Garrison, Wm, Lloyd, 12. 

Gascony, 1, 38, 98. 

Gastein, Treaty of, 227. 

Gauden, Bishop of Exeter, 85. 

Gaimt, John of, 141. 

Gaveston, Piers, 181. 

Gilderland, 266. 

Geneva, 63, 147, 159, 209, 256. 

Genghis Khan, 107, 248. 

Genoa, 70, 91, 93, 148, 187, 218. 

Gensan, 220. 

George, Despot of Servia, 246. 

George, Duke, of Saxony, 119, 256. 

George I of England, 19, 217, 224, 

242, 244, 262, 277- 
George II of England, 192. 
George III of England, 76, 90, 91, 

138, 222. 
George IV of England, 3, 95, 102, 

193, 202. 
Georgia, 86, 104, 252. 
Geraldines, 162. 
Gerard V, Count of Ravensberg, 

221. 
German Acts, i, 46, 47, 90, 134- 
German Pohtical Parties, 48, 50, 

134, 139, 166. 
Gerry, Elbridge, 132. 
Ghazi, 28. 
Ghent, 51, 135. 
Ghent, Convention of, iii. 
Ghent, Pacification of, 158, 193. 
Ghent, Treaty of, 223. 
Ghoorkas, 172. 
Gibraltar, 78, 90, 267, 271- 
Gironde, 39, 59. 
Girondins, 196, 250. 
Gladstone, W. E., 12, 21, 57,'"i03, 

106, 109, 120, 128, 138, 147,^248, 

263. 
Glamorgan, Earl of, 18. 
Glarus, 84. 

Glencaim, Earl of, 18. 
Glenelg, Lord, 204. 
Gloucester, Duke of, 279- 
Gloucestershire, 274. 
Godaveri (River), 235- 
Godfrey, Sir Edmundbury, 199. 
Godoy, Manuel, 97, 203. 
Gohad, 235. 



292 



INDEX 



Gold Coast, 10. 
Gomarus, 65, 108. 
Gonsalvo de Cordova, 109. 
Gordon, General Charles, 53, 89, 

247- 
Gordon, Lord George, 108. 
Gordons of Huntly, The, 41. 
Gorgey, General, 272. 
Gorlitz, 236. 
Gorst, Sir John, 98. 
Gorz, 130. 
Goths, 102. 
Gotteshausbund, 249. 
Govind Rai, 234. 
Gowrie, Lord, 220. 
Graaf-Reinet, 236. 
Gradenigo, Doge of Venice, 254* 
Grafton Ministry, 134. 
Grahams, The, 73. 
Granada, i, 160, 168. 
Grant, General Ulysses, 147- 
Granville, Bishop of Arras, 161. 
Grattan, Henry, no, 234, 265. 
Graubund, 249. 
Gray, Wilson, 142. 
Great Salt Lake, 168. 
Greece, 14, 78, 128, 150, 151, 160, 

194. ^ 
Greeley, Horace, 147. 
Greenland, 137- 
Gregory VII, Pope, 46, 154. 
Gregory X, Pope, 61, 154. i99« 
Gregory XI, Pope, 21, 266. 
Gregory XII, Pope, 196. 
Gregorv XIII, Pope, 127. 

Gregory XV, Pope, 203. 

Grenville, George, 261. 

Grenville, William, Lord, 164. 

Grey, Earl, 102. 

Grey, Sir George, 7« 

Griffith, Sir Richard, in. 

Griqualand, 2, i75. 276. 

Grisons, 24, in, 167, 268. 

Groningen, 266. 

Groote Privilegie, 105. 

Grousset, Paschal, 60. 

Guadeloupe, 187, 243. 

Guatemala, 43, 50. 

Guelfs, 29, 194' 

Gueux, 38. 

Guienne, 38, 51. 

Guinegate, Battle of, 240. 

Guipuscoa, 189, 190. 

Guise, Francis, Due de, 261, 268. 

Guise, Henri, Due de, 22, 24. 

Guises, The, 7. I33> i44» 218, 221 

Guiteau, 240. 



Guithelin, 161. 

Guizot, F. P. G., 239. 

Gussinje, 67. 

Gustavus III of Sweden, 11. 

Gustavus IV of Sweden, 100. 

Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, 24» 

116, 148, 214. 237, 241. 243. 
Gustavus Vasa, 33. 
Guyon, Mme., 207. 
Gwader, Ralph of, 39. 
Gwalior, 235. 
Gwyn, Sir Rowland, 191. 
Gwynne, NeU, 69. 

Hague, The, i. 

Haidar Ali, 155, 222. 

Hainau, General, 122. 

Hainault, 105, 158. 

Hakodate, 8. 

Hakon the Good of Denmark, 102, 

112. 
Halifax, Nova Scotia, 45. 
Halifax, Charles, First Earl of, 134, 

171. 
HaUfax, George, Second Earl of, 261 
Halland, 40. 
Hamburg, 100, 114. 
Hamburger Nachrichten, 212. 
Hamilton, Duke of, 124. 
Hampden, John, 95, 233. 
Hankow, 140. 

Hanover, 112, 114, 201, 222, 261. 
Hanse League, 48. 
Harcourt, Sir W. Vernon, 219. 
Hardwicke, Lord, 96. 
Haroun-al-Raschid, 23. 
Harrowby, Lord, 49. 
Haselrig, Sir John, 95. 
Hassan-ben-Sabah, 16. 
Hastings, Warren, 27» 244. 
Hatton, Sir Christopher, 72. 
Havana, 187. 
Haverfordw^est, 192. 
Hawkwood, Sir John, 277- 
Hay, Secretary, 116. 
Hegealand, 40. 
Held, Chancellor, 119. 
Helsingfors, i. 
Henry III, Emperor, 259* 
Henry IV, Emperor, 46. 
Henry I of England, 26, 68, 71. 89, 

95, 106, 205. 
Henry II of England, 3, 17. 38, 

65, 71, 72, 90, 105, 227. 275. 278. 
Henry III of England, 8, 17, 24 

52, 97» 128, 141, 146, 155. 188, 

215, 222, 263. 



INDEX 



293 



Henry IV of England, 25, 82, 113, 

141, 270, 274- 
Henry V of England, 6, 261. 
Henry VI of England, 76. 
Henry VII of England, 73, 94, no, 

158, 163, 169, 193, 241. 
Henry VIII of England, 11, 13, 16, 

18, 19, 31, 34, 66, 74. 75. 93. 

119, 138, 150, 176, 177, 195, 206, 

209, 218, 236, 240, 244» 245, 266, 
^275,277. 

Henry II of France, 48, 50, 144. 
Henry III of France, 9, 24. 51 

84. 133. 164, 172, 217. 221, 265. 
Henry IV of France (Henry of 

Navarre), 9, 30, 90, 96, 163, 175, 

184, 208, 257, 261, 266. 
Henry, King of Jerusalem, 250. 
Henry, King of Poland, 184. 
Herat, 188, 234. 
Herbert, W., 160. 
Hereford, Earl of, 39. 
Herefordshire, 274. 
Herschel, Sir John, 118. 
Herzegovina, 28, 218. 
Hesse, 105. 
Hesse-Cassel, 201. 
Hesse Darmstadt, 215. 
Hexhamshire, 68. 
Highlands, The, 77, 241, 246, 257* 
Hill, Isaac, 139. 
Hill, Sir Rowland, 192. 
Hindus, 37. 
Hoche, General, 175. 
Hofmeyr, J. H., 4. 
HohenUnden, Battle of, 154. 
Hohenlohe, Count of, 145. 
Holkar, 198, 207. 
Holland, 4, 9, 10, 17, 24, 29, 38, 49, 

95, 105, 109, 114, 116, 121, 151, 

152, 154, 174, 187, 189, 220, 222, 

232, 239, 245, 260, 261, 266, 267, 

272, 279. 
Holstein, 137. 
Holy Alliance, 167. 
Holyrood, 215. 
Honan, 247. 
Honduras, 50. 
Hong Kong, 170, 180. 
Honorius II, Pope, 249. 
Honorius III, Pope, 47, 78. 
Hopeful, The, 136. 
Horn, Count, 11. 
Hottentots, 186. 

Howard of Effingham, Lord, 127. 
Howard, Sir John, 133. 
Howe, Lord, 107, 176. 



Hudson ( River), 69, 95, 236. 

Hudson's Bay, 45, 209. 

Huguenots, 5, 8, 9, 30, 51, 52, 59» 
80, 84, 103, 122, 123, 131, I44» 
152, 167, 172, 174. 175» 184, 198, 
203, 215. 221, 228, 257. 268. 

Hullin, General, 158. 

Humbert, General, 175. 

Hung Hsiu Chwan, 247. 

Hungary, 19, 34, 47, 54, 75. 80, 
96, 107, 121, 122, 139, 140, 141. 
156, 191, 202, 207, 246, 255, 272. 

Hungary, Master of, 190. 

Hunt, Orator, 159, 207. 

Himtly, Marquis of, 69. 

Hunyadi Janos, 246. 

Huss, John, 64, 122, 279. 

Hussites, 16, 44, 60, i22,t68,i95.246. 

Hyderabad, 260. 

Hythe, 54. 

Ibrahim Pasha, 274- 

Iglau, 60. 

Ilbert, C. P., 123. 

Illinois, T69, 201, 244. 

Incas, 213. 

India, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 31, 34. 35. 

37, 50, 53. 56, 71. 75. 83. no, 

123, 125. 133, 137, 139, 14^' 155. 

159, 165, 180, 183, 189, 193, 195. 

198, 204, 205, 207, 211, 220, 222, 

230, 231, 234> 235, 237, 238, 244. 

245, 247. 253. 260, 261, 264, 268, 

269, 281. 
Indiana, 121, 169, 278. 
Indore, 118, 159. 
Ingermanland, 243. 
Ingolstadt, 123. 
Ingria, 177. 

Inkerman, Battle of, 238. 
Innocent II, Pope, 98, 143- 
Innocent III, Pope, 126, 127. I43» 

262. 
Innocent IV, Pope, 154- 
Innocent X, Pope, 265. 
Innocent XI, Pope, 211. 
Innspruck, 190. 
Ionian Islands, 45, 128, 181. 
Iowa, 116. 

Ireland, Duke of, 152. 
Irene, Empress of the East, i74- 
Irish Acts, 66, 96, 126, 127, 138. 

192, 215, 216, 245. 265. 
Irish Land, 37, 58, 7o, 74. i-^' ^2", 

128, 138, 142, 146, 154. 162, 166, 

168, 173, 177.189, 196, 242, 2C3. 

266. 



294 



INDEX 



Irish Political Parties, 12, 120, 146. 
Irish Religious Question, 37, 49, 

62, loi, 118, 127, 128, 148, 181, 

213, 245. 
Iron Gate, 72. 

Isabella of France, 223, 232. 
Isabella of Spain, 46, 239. 
Iskander Beg, 6. 
Istria, 45, 130. 
Italy, 2, 10, 29, 54» 58, 64, 104, 112, 

129, 130, 144, 150, I54»i55. 186, 

201, 215, 222, 225, 229. 

Jaafar, 23. 

Jackson, Andrew, 139, 179. 

Jackson, Thomas J., 243. 

Jacobins, 93, 196. 

Jacobites, 16, 19, 34* 42, 57. 60, 94, 
97, 122, 131, i49» 184, 206. 

Jaffa, 131. 

Jamaica, 40, 131, 160, 168. 

James I of Aragon, 183. 

James I of England, 2, 24. 25, 35, 
38, 42, 50, 59. 73. 91. 95. 108, 
109, no, 124. 1*9. 132. 145. 150, 
164, 178, 194. 200, 220, 227. 240, 
257. 273. 274 

James II of England, 18, 19, 74, 
118, 206, 220, 229, 231, 250, 253, 
280. 

James III of Scotland, 27. 

James IV of Scotland, 193. 

James V of Scotland, 58. 138, 253- 

James, Duke of York, 89. 

James Edward (the Old Pretender) 
19, 179. 

James (River), 231. 

James, Sir Henry, 120. 

Jameson, Dr., 131, 258. 

Jamtland, 40. 

Jansen, Cornelius, 124, i3t. 

Jansenists, 124, 199, 265. 

Japan, 8, it, 14, 53, 71. 88, 97, 102, 
108, 114, 115, 133, 164, 183, 218, 
220,223,225. 233. 

Jean Sans Peur, Duke of Bur- 
gundy, 185. 

Jeannin, 23. 

Jeffreys, Judge, 34. 118, 139- 

JeUachich, General, 122. 

Jena, 42. 

Jerome Buonaparte, 197. 255, 268. 

Jerome of Prague, 44. 123. 

Jersey, 68. 

Jerusalem, 146. 

Jesuits, 78, 253. 

Jeypur, 135. 



Joan of Arc, 156, 204. 

Jodhpur, 235. 

Johannesburg, 81, 258. 

John of England, 127, 141, 156. 

John of France, 38, 252. 

John XII, Pope, 37. 

John XXIII, Pope, 64, 226. 

John IV of Portugal, 200. 

John VI of Portugal, 74. 

John of Leyden, 9. 

John Frederick of Saxony, 227. 

John Frederick of Wiirtemberg, 

204. 
Johnson, President, 250. 
Johnston, Robert, 261. 
Jones, Sir WilUam, 104. 
Joseph II, Emperor, 103, 133. 
Joseph Buonaparte, 52, 134, 255, 

271. 
Joubert, 267. 
Joyce, Myles, 155. 
Juarez, B. P., 210. 
Juhus II, Pope, 119, 144. 
Jumna (River), 235. 
Junot, General, 54. 

Kabul, 217' 

Kaffirs, 106, 242, 259. 

Kaga, 71. 

Kali (River), 172. 

Kamenz, 236. 

Kanakas, 32, 124, 135. 

Kandahar, 217. 

Kansas, 104, 136, 165, i75. 240. 

Karmath, 136. 

Kars, 28, 71, 188. 

Kashgar, 19, 140. 

Katak, 75. 

Keate, R. W., 136. 

Keble, John, 184. 

Kemble, J. P., 177. 

Kendall, Amos, 139. 

Kenmure, Lord, 94. 

Kent, 68, 104. 

Kentucky, 7. 34. 35. 42, 136. 169. 

Khartoum, gi, 156. 

Khatmandu, 172. 

Khyber Pass, 103. 

Kilimanjaro, 281. 

KiUala, 175. 

Kimberley, 76, 123, 138. 

Kitchener, Lord, 91. 

Kiiimer (River), 2. 

Knights Templars, 167, 272, 273. 

Knox, John, 77. 

Knut, 82, 104, 121, 252. 

Kobe, 8. 



INDEX 



295 



Kohinoor, 205. 

Kok, Adam, 175. 

Koran, 233, 245, 263. 

Korea, 4, 11, 220, 255. 

Kosciusko, T., 197. 

Kossuth, Louis, 89, 122. 

Kruger, Paul, 2. 

Ku Klux Klan, 97. 

Kulturkampf, 46, 50, go, 134, 140, 

264. 
Kumasi, 96. 
Kuram Valley, 103. 
Kurds, 24. 
Kutb-ud-Din, 237. 
Kutschi-Kraina, 67. 
Kutusoff, General, 41. 

La Bourdonnaye, 49. 
La Charite, 221. 

La RocheUe, 5, 103, 167, 174, 221. 
Ladislaus IV of Poland, 253. 
Lafayette, Marquis de, 52. 
Lafone, Abbe, 158. 
Lalor, Peter, 89. 
Lambert, General, 125, 184. 
Lamothe, Mme., 76. 
Lamourette, Bishop of Lyons, 22. 
Lancashire, 33, 67. 
Lancaster, 68. 

L an franc. Archbishop of Canter- 
bury, 39. 
Larochejaquelin, 53. 
Las Casas, Bartolomeo de, 125, i77« 
Laski, 5. 

Lateran Council, First, 279. 
Lateran Coimcil, Fourth, 108, 181. 
Latimer, Lord, 108. 
Lauban, 236. 

Laud, AjTchbishop, 245, 246, 253. 
Lauderdale, Lord, 42. 
Lauenbinrg, 104, 151. 
Lavigerie, Cardinal, 208. 
Law, John, 165, 186. 
Lazar, Despot of Sers'ia, 230. 
League, The, 265. 
Ledrin-Rollin, A. A., 89. 
Lee, Ann, 169, 232. 
Lee, C, 43. 
Lee, General, 232. 
Lee, J.D., 169. 
Leeds, 210. 

Lefebvre, Marechale, 224. 
Legations, 21, 256. 
Legnago, 205. 
Legnano, Battle of, 150. 
Leicester, 95. 
Leif, 272. 



Leinster, 34. 

Leinster, Duke of, 219. 

Leipsic, Battle of, 171. 

Lennox, Earl of, 220. 

I<enthall, W., 219. 

Leo III, Emperor of the East, 64, 

123. 
Leo III, Pope, 119. 
Leo X, Pope, 62, 73, 74. 89, 119. 
Leon, 102. 

Leopold I of Belgium, 172. 
Leopold I of Austria, 34. 
Leopold I, Emperor, 70, 220. 
Lettres Persanes, 234. 
Li Himg Chang, 30. 
Liao-tong Peninsula, 233. 
Liebler, Thomas, 87. 
Lightfoot, Hannah, 90. 
Lille, 4, 24. 
Limbmrg, i54' 
Limerick, 146, 245. 
Limerick, Pacification of, 215- 
Limoges, 38. 
Lincoln, 95. 
Lincoln, Abraham, 35. 85, ii4» 

179, 207. 
Lincoln, Fair of, 141. 
Little Big Horn, 71- 
Liverpool, 210. 
Liverpool, Lord, 49. 
Livonia, 177, 1,43. 
Lobau, 236. 
Loch, Lord, 2. 
Locke, John, 166. 
Lodge, 97. 
Lodomiria, 197. 
Lollards, 113. 
Lombard League, 64. 
Lombard V, 129. 
London, 12, 89, 94, 108, 123, 129, 

150, 151, 177, 196, 236, 257» 273» 

277- 
Long Parhament, 194. 202, 209, 

213, 221, 238, 273- 
Loo Choo Islands, 97. 
Lome, Marquis of, 232. 
Lorraine, 100, 190, 191, 205, 221, 

271- 

Lorraine, Duke of, 5. 

Lothair, Emperor, 40, 153. ^78, 

269. 
Louis IV, Emperor, 194- 
Louis I of France, 40, I53» i78, 

243* 
Louis VI of France, 106. 
Louis IX of France, i, 8, 48, 88, 

98, 179, 188, 201, 206, 238. 



296 



INDEX 



Louis XI of France, 29, 63, 191, 

193. 
Louis XII of France, 30, 44, 91, 

119. 
Louis XIII of France, 23, 24, 54. 

82, 167, 203, 217. 
Louis XIV of France, 4, 19, 43, 79. 

84, 102, 109, no, 124, 130, 152, 

157. 174. i75» 211, 217, 220, 225, 

239. 255» 267. 
Louis XV of France, 29, 158, 187. 
Louis XVI of France, 76, 83, 126, 

129, 167, 172, 182, 236. 
Louis XVIII of France, 2, 46, 50, 

51, 78, 86. 
Louis of Nassau, 112. 
Louis the Bavarian, 213. 
Louis the Dauphin, 141, 148. 
Louis the German, 40, 163, 269. 
Louis Philippe of France, 90, 93, 

134, 170, 197, 215, 2i7» 239, 254- 
Louise of Savoy, 184. 
Louisiana, 69, 112, 187, 192. 
Louvois, 80, 274. 
Lovat, Lord, 206. 
Lowe, Robert, 161. 
Lowther, Sir John, 175. 
Loyola, Ignatius, 132. 
Liibeck, 48, 100, 114. 
Liibeck, Peace of, 214. 
Lucca, 218. 
Lucerne, 193, 231. 
Ludlow, John, 153. 
Lupus, Hugh, 52. 
Lusatia, 201. 
Luton Moor, 241. 
Luther, Martin, 16, 73, 74, 126, 227, 

279- 
Lutherans, 213, 240. 
Luxembourg, 151. 
Lyons, 170. 
Lyons, Council of, 199. 
Lynch, James, 154. 
Lytton, Lord, 220. 

McCarthy, Justin, 187. 
McClellan, General, 231. 
Macdermott, " The Great," 133. 
Macdonalds of Glencoc, 107. 
Macduff, Clan, 203. 
Mcintosh, Clan, 219. 
Mack, General, 263. 
Mackau, Baron de, 265. 
McLeod, Clan, 219. 
Macmahon, Marshal, 153, 229. 
M'Murroughs, 34. 
Macready, 18. 



Madras, 155. 

Madrid, 44. 

Magdeburg, 135. 

Magenta, Battle of, 272. 

Magnus the Good of Denmark, 109. 

Maguire, Cornelius, 166. 

Mahdists, 91. 

Mahidpore, Battle of, 159. 

Mahrattas, 25, 75, 118, 159, 193, 

196, 198, 205, 222, 230, 235- 
Maid of Norway, 39. 
Maine, France, i, 38, to6. 
Maine, U.S.A., 154, 157, 196. 
Maitland, Lord, 69. 
Maitland, Sir Peregrine, 2. 
Majuba Hill, 202. 
Malabar, 230. 

Malcolm IV of Scotland, 156. 
Malcolm Canmore, 203. 
Malet, General, 158. 
Malietoa, 223. 
Mallard, 161. 
Malta, 130, 187. 
Mamelukes, 113. 
Man, Isle of, 137, 263. 
Manchester, 210. 

Manchester, Edward, Earl of, 229. 
Manchuria, 10, 48, 140. 
Manitoba, 45, 209. 
Mankoroane, 136, 142. 
Manners, Lord John, 280. 
Mantua, 205. 
Maories, 274. 
Mar, Earl of, 34, 94, 122. 
Marat, Jean Paul, 8. 
March, Agnes, Count ess of, 30. 
Marchand, Captain, 91. 
Marchiel, M. de, 130. 
Marengo, Battle of, 154. 
Margaret of Anjou, 191. 
Margaret of Denmark, 229, 265. 
Margaret of Parma, 65. 
Margaret Tudor, 193. 
Marguerite de Valois, i75- 
Maria of Portugal, 230. 
Maria Theresa of Austria, 5, 99, 197, 

200. 
Marie Antoinette, 53, 75, 76, 167. 
Marie Ther^se of France, 12, 182. 
Marignano, Battle of, 106. 
Mariilac, Colonel, 80. 
Marlborough, Duke of, 67, i75» 239. 
Marlborough, Sarah Duchess of, 

206. 
Marlborough, Statute of, 276. 
Maronites, 145. 
Maroto, General, 28. 



INDEX 



197 



Marseillais, 92. 

Marseilles, 70. 

Martel, Charles, 157. 

Martia, 160. 

Martin V, Pope, 24, 64, 226. 

Martinique, 187. 

Marx, 127. 

Mary of Burgundy, 105, in. 

Mary of England,' 121, 209, 265. 

Mary of Modena, 206. 

Mary Queen of Scots, 21, 48, 212, 

216, 220. 
Maryland, 21, 35, 161, 179, 252. 
Masaniello, 231. 
Mashonaland, 2, 11. 
Mason, George, 273. 
Massachusetts, 25, 34, 61, 62, 88, 

113, 132, 165, i73» 211, 232, 252. 
Massena, Marshal, 87. 
Massouw, 242. 
Massowah, 10. 
Mataafa, 223. 
Mathew, Father, 249. 
Matilda of Tuscany, 46. 
Matthias of Austria, 202. 
Matthioli, Count, 130. 
Maubeuge, 24. 
Maurice of Saxony, 190. 
Mauritius, 187. 

Maximilian of Bavaria, 119, 279. 
Maximilian I, Emperor, 19, 44, 119, 

143, 197, 212, 268. 
Maximilian of Mexico, 151. 
Maxwell, Lord, 18. 
Mayence, 228. 
Mayence, Synod of, 279. 
Mayenne, Due de, 96. 
Mdyftoiver, The, 195. 
Mazarin, Cardinal, 124, 215. 
Mazzini, Giuseppe, 8g, 218, 280. 
Meagher, 280. 
Meath, 34. 
Mecca, 42, 136. 
Medici, 15, 195. 
Medici, Catherine de', 8, 58, 152, 

184, 221. 
Medici, Cosmo de', 91. 
Medici, Giovanni de', 90. 
Medici, Giuliano de', 191. 
Medici, Lorenzo de', 191. 
Medici, Marie de', 82. 
Mehemet Ali, 72, 134, 274. 
Mekong (River), 10, 99. 
Melancthon, 19, 127. 
Melbourne, 32, 199. 
Melbourne, Lord, 26, 131. 
Melchthal of Unterwalden, in. 



Melville, Andrew, 77. 

Melville, Lord, 132. 

Mercia, 95, 177, 276. 

Methuen Treaty, 59. 

Metz, 100. 

Mexico, 21, 42, 50, 92, 103, III, 

150, i75» 210, 240, 278. 
Meyer, Lucas, 173. 
Mezzofanti, Cardinal, 192. 
Michigan, 141, 279. 
Michni Pass. 103. 
Middelburg, 158. 
Miguel, Don, of Portugal, 89. 
Mikado, 233. 

Milan, 149, 150, 152, 218, 269. 
Milanese, 154, 189, 256. 
Millenary Petition, 114. 
Minamoto-no-Yoritomo, 233. 
Minorca, 79, 90, 267, 270, 271. 
Mirabeau, Comte de, 8. 
Mirabeau, Marquis de, 8, 167. 
Miramon, President, 210. 
Miranda, General, 109. 
Mississippi, 20, 26, 112. 
Missouri, 35. 

Missoiuri Compromise, 136, 240. 
Mitchei, John, 280. 
Mitton, Chapter of, 51. 
Modena, 130. 
Mohammed, 44. 
Mohammed Ahmed, 156. 
Mohammed-es-Senussi, 229. 
Mohammedanism, 44, 104, 105, 

113, 116, 132, 136, 156, 166, 185, 

186, 229, 23^, 237, 245, 274* 
Mohawks, 96. 
Molapo, 124. 
Moldavia, 3, 5, 27, 121, 124, 140* 

273- 
Molina, Fray, 166. 
Mongain, 10. 
Monk, General, 47, 219. 
Monmouth, James Duke of, 31, 34* 

138, 203. 
Monmouth, Earl of, 175. 
Monroe Doctrine, 119, 180. 
Monroe, President, 87, 167, 180. 
Mont St. Michel, 43. 
Montauban, 167, 221. 
Montbars the Exterminator, 40. 
Montenegro, 28, 67, 81. 
Montesquieu, 234. 
Montferrat, Conrad of, 16. 
Montgomeryshire, 255. 
Montigny, Seigneur de, 158. 
Montpensier, Due de, 239. 
Montreuil, 38. 



298 



INDEX 



Montrose, Earl of, 70. 
Montserrat, 38. 
Montsioa, 136. 
Montt, President, 168. 
Moors, I, 93, 160, 168, 185. 
Morea, 47, 190. 
Morgan, Sir Henry, 40. 
Morley, John, 219. 
Mormons, 72, 84, 144, 169. 
Morocco, 155, 223. 
Mortier, Marshal, 93. 
Morton, Douglas, Earl of, 79. 
Morton, Cardinal, 169. 
Moshesh, 7, 124, 237, 251. 
Moukhtar Pacha, 105. 
Mounteagle, Lord, 112. 
Mourad I of Turkey, 230, 275. 
Mulmutius, 161, 170. 
Mun, Comte de, 265. 
Munster, 216, 234. 
Miinster, 9. 
Miinzer, 191. 

Murray, James, Earl of, 220. 
Mysore, 155, 159, 230, 260. 

Nagasaki, 8. 
Nakitchevan, 257. 
Namur, 24. 
Nana Sahib, 50. 
Ndnak, Babu, 234. 
Nanking, 247. 

Nantes, Edict of, 122, 167, 174. 

Naples, 35, 44, 46, 63, 90, 130, 

152, 161, 181, 189, 224, 227, 

271- 

Napoleon, 2, 3, 25, 27, 28, 37, 
48, 52, 54» 57, 61, 65, 67, 76 
86, 87, 97, 120, 122, 131, I35» 
148, 15b, 162, 164, 171, 174, 
194, 195, 202, 215, 222, 224, 
228, 243, 250, 251, 253, 262. 

Napoleon III, 21, 36, 43, 68, 73, 
151, 182, 196, 208, 220, 262, 

Napoleon, Prince, 197, 202. 

Nassau, 201. 

Natal, 33, 171, 204, 259. 

Navarino, Battle of, 201. 

Nebraska, 136, 165, 240. 

Nejd, 274. 

Nelson, Lord, 118. 

Nerbudda (River), 19S. 

Netherlands, i, 15, 19, 22, 33, 
40, 51, 60, 79, 103, 105, 107, 
112, 121, I35» 153. 157. 193, 
213, 242, 266. 

Neuchatel, 225, 227. 

Nevski Prospekt, 73. 



141, 
231, 

, 46, 
, 77, 
146, 
181, 
227, 

III, 
272. 



38, 
III, 
212, 



New Brunswick, 45. 

New Granada, 147. 

New Hampshire, no, 252. 

New Haven, 62, 113, 173, 232. 

New Jersey, 38, 252. 

New Mexico, 61, 103, in, 175. 

New Orleans, 133, 187. 

New South Wales, 20, 36, 92, 100, 

136, 142, 207. 
New York City, 18, 80, 82, 78, 88, 

92, 94, 238, 248, 262. 
New York State, 5, 38, 86, 89, in, 

238, 252. 
New York Times, 248. 
New Zealand, 20, 120, 173, 274. 
Newfoundland, 35, 45, 95, 99, loi, 

114, 187, 191, 267. 
Newman, Cardinal, 184. 
Ney, Marshal, 37, 148. 
Nicaragua, 50. 
Nice, 262. 

Nicholas II, Pope, 198, 218. 
Nicholas V, Pope, 16. 
Nicholas I of Russia, 73, 129, 234, 

252. 
Nimeguen, Peace of, 220. 
Ningpo, 180. 
Nizam, 261. 
Norfolk, Thomas, 4th Duke of, 215, 

235. 
Norfolk, Earl of, 39. 
Normandy, i, 38, 63, 104. 
Norsemen, 7, 8, 28, 35, 55, 81, 102, 

109, 112, 117, 118, 132, 136, 149, 

176, 178, 181, 183, 221, 226, 252, 

253» 272, 273. 
North, Lord, 19, 206, 211. 
North Briton, 177. 
North Carolina, 211, 232, 262. 
North German Confederation, 41. 
Northbrook. Lord, 24. 
Northumberland, Duke of, 42. 
Norway, 163, 243, 265. 
Norwich, Bridal of, 39. 
Notarbartolo, Signor, 155. 
Nottingham, 95, 133. 
Nottingham, Earl of, 175. 
Nova Scotia, 2, 38, 45. 
Novara, 271. 
Novgorod, 51. 
Novossiltsof, 261. 
Noyon, 44. 
Nuremberg, 50, 213. 

O'Brien, Smith, 280. 
O'Brien, WiUiam, 266. 
O'Briens, The, 34. 



INDEX 



299 



O'Connell, Daniel, 29, 49, 56, loi, 

147, 178, 214, 218. 
O'Connor, Feargus, 51. 
O'Connors, The, 34. 
O'Donnell, The, 129. 
O'Higgins, General, 109. 
O'Lachlans, The, 34. . 
O'Neill of Ulster, 129. 
O'NeiUs, The, 34. 
O'Shea, Captain, 12, 138. 
Oates, Titus, 162, 199. 
Oberyssel, 266. 
Obock, 10. 
Ohio, 41, 169. 
Oklahoma, 175. 
Old Orsova, 235. 
Olmiitz, Hiimiliation of, 261. 
Olney, Secretary, 167, 180, 269. 
Omar, Caliph, 189. 
Oneidas, 96. 
Onondagas, 96. 
Oorah, 27. 
Opium War, 170. 

Orange Free State, 2, 7, 33, 42, 
124, 151, 218, 237> 251, 267, 273. 
Orange River, 174, 175, 259. 
Oribe, President, 33. 
Orinoco (River), 239, 269. 

Orkneys, 38, 178, 263. 

Orlando, 185. 

Orleans, 156. 

Orleans, Duke of, 154, 185. 

Orleans, Duke of (Egahte), 84, 87, 
167. 

Orleans, Duke of (Gamelle), 103. 

Orloffs, The, 49. 

Ormonde, Lord, 19, 260. 

Orrery, Lord, 19. 

Orsini, Cardinal, 281. 

Ortia de Rosas, 104. 

Orton, Arthur, 55. 

Osman Pasha, 105. 

Ostend, 79. 

Oszakov, 132. 

Ottawa, 7. 

Otto of Bavaria, 150. 

Oude, 27, 244, 247. 

Overend and Gumey, 31. 

Oxenstiema, Chancellor, 116. 

Oxford, 36, 266. 

Oxford, Earl of, 175. 

Paardeberg, 157. 
Padilla, Juan de, 225. 
Padua, 254. 
Paes de Andrade, 87. 
Pago Pago, 223. 



Pahlen, Count, 184. 

Pakington, Sir John, 249. 

Palatinate, 239. 

Palermo, 155, 233. 

Palestine, 120, 249. 

Palmerston, Lord, 57, 78, 185, 239. 

Pamirs, 218. 

Panama, 40, 239. 

Panama Canal, 116. 

Panda, 171. 

Pannonia, 156. 

Panslavism, 180, 201. 

Papal States, 10, 21, 31, 45. 78, 

119, 131, 145, 190, 229, 256. 
Paraguay, 156, 196, 261. 
Paris, 14', 18, 36, 42, 43, 47» 60, 99, 
102, 126, 157, 165, i7i» 194. 228, 
236, 250, 255, 280. 
Paris, Comte de, 202. 
Paris, Peace of, 121. 
Paris, Treaty of, 216, 220, 260. 
Parker, Archbishop, 170. 
Parma, 90, 97, 130, 154, 232, 27i» 
272. 

Parma, Duke of, 89. 

Parnell, C. S., 12, 120, 138, 187, 
189, 284. 

Pascal, Blaise, 131, 199. 

Paskievitch, General, 272. 

Pasquino, 190. 

Passau, Treaty of, 214. 

Paterson (Darien Scheme), 72. 

Paul IIL Pope, 75> 211, 259. 

Paul IV, Pope, 70, 125. 

Paul I of Russia, 184. 

Pavia, General, 76. 

Peasants' War, 130. 

Pedro IV of Aragon, 13. 

Pedro, Don, of Aragon, 233. 

Pedro I of Brazil, 43, 74- 

Pedro IV of Portugal, 51- 

Peel, Sir Robert, 26, 66, 162, 180, 
191, 248. 

Peking, 152, 254- 

Pelagius, Pope, 126. 

Pelham, Henry, 40. 

Pelucones, 168. 

Pembroke, Thomas, 8th Earl of, 

175- 
Pembrokeshire, 68. 
Penn, William, 119. 
Pennsylvania, 119, I37. 161, 166, 

176, 252, 277, 279. 
Pepin of France, 78, 157. 
Percy, Henry, 121. 
Perigord, 38. 
Pemambuco, 87. 



300 



INDEX 



Perry, Commodore, 8. 

Persia, 112, 188, 189, 234, 257, 258. 

Persian Gulf, 188. 

Perth, 95, 220. 

Peru, 9, 124, 147, 184. 

Pescadores, 233. 

Peschiera, 205. 

Peshwa, The, 25, 198, 245, 261. 

Peter, Count of Brittany, 24. 

Peter Martyr, 58. 

Peter I (the Great) of Russia, 177, 

202, 204, 221, 243. 
Peter III of Russia, 49. 
Peterhof, 49. 
Peyronnet, 9. 
Phayre, Colonel, 23. 
Philadelphia, 139. 
PhiUp, Duke of Anjou, 239. 
Philip (the Good) of Burgundy, 107, 

no, 158. 
Philip, Count of Charolais, 261. 
Philip II of France (PhiUp Augus- 
tus), 263, 274. 
Philip III of France, 98. 
Philip IV of France (the Faur), 19, 

51, 146, 188, 219, 232, 242, 264. 
Phihp II of Spain, i, 13, 61, 127, 

i33» 158, 163, 193, 245, 270. 
PhiUp III of Spain, 168. 
Philip V of Spain, 90. 
Philippines, 8. 
Piacenza, 97. 
Pichegru, General, 195. 
Piedmont, 141, 225, 256. 
Piedmont, U.S.A., '154. 
Pigott (the Forger), 189. 
Pilgrim Fathers, 162. 
Pisa, 64., 262. 
Pisa, Council of, 144, 226. 
Pishin Valley, 103. 
Pitcairn Island, 36. 
Pitt, WilUam, Earl of Chatham, 

37. 53. 190. 
Pitt, WilUam, the Younger, 34, 83, 

no, 116, 125, 164, 265. 
Pius V, Pope, 75, 215. 
Pius IX, Pope, 31, 126, 203. 
Pizarro, 124. 
Pizarro, Gonsalo, 160. 
Plava, 67. 

PlimsoU, Samuel, 197. 
Ploermel, 252. 
Plunket, Horace, 128. 
Plymouth, 162, 173. 
Plymouth, U.S.A., 113, 128. 
Podgoritza, 67. 
Podolia, 47. 



Poissy, Caisse de, 43, 236. 

Poitiers, Battle of, 38. 

Poitou, I, 38, 80, 196. 

Poland, 22, 41, 47» 59. 62, 75. i47. 

149, 161, 182, 184, 185, 197, 217. 

224, 238, 248, 251, 253, 271. 278. 
Pole, Cardinal, 209. 
Pomerania, 27, 201, 277. 
Poniatowski, Stanislas Augustus, 

22. 
Ponthieu, 38. 
Poonah, 25, 207. 
Porcari, Stefano, 199. 
Port Arthur, 233. 
PortaUs, 58. 
Porto Rico, 8, 58, 97. 
Portugal, n, 35, 51. 54. 75. 89, 97. 

163, 199, 202, 205, 230, 255, 256. 
Posen, 255, 271. 

Postma, Mr., 79. 

Potemkin, General, 132. 

Potchefstroom, 253. 

Poyning, Sir Edward, 200. 

Prague, 122, 157, 2or. 

Prague, Treaty of, 131, 176. 

Prempeh, 96. 

Preston, Battle of, 94. 

Prestonpans, Battle of, 98. 

Pretoria, 151. 

Pretorius, President, 267. 

Pride, Colonel, 219. 

Priestley, Dr., 30. 

Prim, Marshal, 222. 

Prince Edward's Island, 45. 

Pritchard, Rev. Mr., 247- 

Probyloff Islands, 5, 27. 

Provence, 163. 

Pruth (River), 41. 

Pulteney, WilUam, 190. 

Punjaub, 137, 204. 

Puritans, 3, 61, 121, 125. 161, 162, 

164, 195, 219, 225. 232. 
Pusey, Dr., 184. 
Puysac, Battle of, 106. 
Pyat, FeUx, 60. 

Pym, John, 15, 95. 

Quarterly Review, 63. 
Quebec, 113. 
Queensberry, Lord, 206. 
Queensland, 20, 92, 124, 191, 207. 
Querini, The, 254. 
Quesnay, Dr., 83. 

Raghoba, 205, 222, 245. 
Rajputs, 159. 
Rdkdczy, 140, 141, 246. 



INDEX 



301 



Raleigh, Sir Walter, 42. 
Raramerkins, 49. 
Rammohun Roy, 37. 
Ranjit Singh, 234, 264. 
Rastadt, Treaty of, 267. 
Ratisbon, Diet of, 47, 210. 
Ravenna, 78. 
Raymond, Count of Toulouse, 6, 

247. 
Red River, 99. 
Redmond, John, 189. 
Reformation, 9, 15, 16, 19, 38, 50, 

74. 77, 78, 83, 98, 105, 115. 116, 

119, 121, 126, 127» 150, 153, 157. 

161, 167, 190, 212, 214, 215, 235, 

250, 259, 268, 275. 279. 
Reims, 9. 

Reinach, Baron de, 186. 
Retz, Cardinal de, 102. 
Rhatia, 249. 
Rhine (River), 221. 
Rhine, Circle of the, 236. 
Rhine, Confederation of the, 255. 
Rhineland, 163. 

Rhode Island, 79, 149, 252, 272. 
Rhodes, 158. 
Rhodes, Cecil, 131. 
Rhodesia, 136. 
Ribbing, Count, 11. 
Richard I of England, 48, 58, 133. 
Richard II of England, 2, 59, 149, 

152, 279- 
Richard III of England, 28, 94, 

117. 
Richard, Duke of Normandy, 216. 
Richelieu, Cardinal, 37, 53, 82, 86, 

217. 
Richter, Eugen, loi. 
Riel, Louis, 209, 216. 
Rienzi, Colas de, 143. 
Riet (River), 175. 
Riga, 149. 
Ritchie, C. T., 149. 
River Plate, 196. 
Rivera, President, 33. 
Rivoli, Battle of, 87. 
Robert of Normandy, 43. 
Roberts, Lord, 114, 219. 
Robespierre, Maximilien, 38, 77, 

124, 133. 143. 169, 172, 250, 252, 

260. 
Robinson, Mrs. Mary, 193, 202. 
Robustelli, General, 268. 
Rochdale, 66. 
Roederer, 58. 
Roger of Salisbury, 89. 
Rohan, Cardinal de, 76. 



Rohillas, 27. 

Roland, 185. 

Roland, Mme., 54. 

Rolf the Ganger, 55. 

Romagna, 145. 

Rome, 143, 190, 199, 217, 218, 229, 
254. 

Rome, Church of, 3, 11, 16, 19, 21, 
24. 30, 31. 37, 4i» 56, 61, 62, 63, 
64, 68, 70, 73. 75, 78, 83, 89, 120, 
124, 125, 126, 127, 132, 143, 144, 
146, 154, 178, 185, 186, 193, iq6, 
198, 203, 204, 211, 226, 264, 265, 
268, 272, 273, 279, 281. 

Romney, 54. 

Roncesvalles, Battle of, 185. 

Rooke, Sir George, 272. 

Rosebery, Lord, 147. 

Roumania, 28. 

Roussillon, 23, 205. 

Rudolph I, Emperor, 120. 

Rudolph II, Emperor, 19, 157, 202, 
261. 

Ruel, Treaty of, 102. 

Rimip, The, 202. 

Rupert of Bavaria, 155. 

Rupertsland, 121. 

Russell, Edward, Earl of Orford, 
134. 

Russell, Lord John, 57. 

Russell, William, Lord, 68, 220. 

Rustchuk, 205. 

Ruthven, Alexander, 108. 

Rye, 54. 

Ryssel, 24. 

Ryswick, Peace of, 19. 

Sadleir, John, 37. 

Sadowa, Battle of, 201. 

Saez, 134. 

Saffi, 218. 

St. Andre, Marechal de, 261. 

St. Bartholomew, Massacre of, 187, 

198. 
St. Benedict, 27. 
St. Brimo, 48. 
St. Columba, 277- 
St. Cuthbert of Diurham, 241. 
St. Dominic, 78. 
St. Francis d' Assisi, 98. 
St. Francis Xavier, 125. 
St. Gall, 144, 231. 
St. Just, 172. 
St. Kitts, 38. 
St. Lucia, 187. 
St. Paul's, 94. 
St. Petersburg, 73. 75. 184. 



302 



INDEX 



St. Simon, Comte de, 222. 

Saintonge, 38, 196. 

Salisbury, Cecil, Earl of, 35. 

Salisbury, Joan, Countess of, 90. 

Salisbury, Marquis of, 180, 232, 269. 

Salsette, 205, 245. 

Salvador, 50. 

Salza, Hermann von, 251. 

Samurai, 108, 114, 223. 

San Domingo, 25. 

San Juan, 275. 

Sancho II of Spain, 53. 

Sandwich, 54. 

Sandys, Sir Thomas, 69. 

Saras vati, Dayanandu, 16. 

Sardinia, 160, 188, 198, 262, 271, 
272, 279, 281. 

Sark (River), 73. 

Saskatchewan, 216. 

Satsuma, 71. 

Savannah, 232. 

Savar5% General, 158. 

Savonarola, 195. 

Savoy, 29, 187, 225, 256, 262, 274. 

Saxony, 126, 201, 232, 236, 261, 
271, 279- 

Schaffhausen, 252. 

Scheldt (River), 151, 274. 

Schleswig Hols tein, 104, 151, 201. 

Schmalkald, League of, 213. 

Schoeman, 267. 

Schomburgk, Sir Robert, 227, 268. 

Schonbrunn, Treaty of, 202. 

Schumla, 205. 

Schwyz, 193, 225. 

Scott, Dred, 80. 

Scottish Acts of Parliament, 55, 

87, 164, 214, 229, 265. 
Scottish Church, 63, 65, 95, 100, 

125, 155. 207, 214, 245. 
Scottish Political Parties, 57, 63, 

240. 
Scrilje, Eugene, 52. 
Scrooby, 162. 
Sebastopol, 188. 
Selim, Sultan of Egypt, 159. 
Selim I of Turkey, 166. 
Selim III of Turkey, 132. 
Senecas, 96, 279- 
Seoul, 220, 255- 
Serrano, Marshal, 76. 
Servia, 5, 27, 28, 180, 230, 236. 
Seven Bishops, 74. 
Seven Years' War, 187. 
Seward, Secretary, 35. 
Sforza, Duke of Milan, 119, 149. 
Shakers, 169. 



Shanghai, 170, 180. 

Shannon (River), 230. 

Shansi, 247. 

Shays, David 232. 

Sherbrooke, Lord, 3. 

Sheridan, R. B., 102. 

Sheriffmuir, Battle of, 94. 

Sherman, General, 232. 

Sheyk-ul-Islam, 263. 

Shogun, 8, 14, 71, 102, 115, 145, 
164. 

Shropshire, 68, 274. 

Siam, 10, 99. 

Siberia, 73, 172. 

Sibi Valley, 103. 

Sicily, 109, 152, 155, 189, 190, 225» 
233. 271. 

Sickingen, Franz von, 175. 

Sidney, Algernon, 220. 

Sidney, Sir PhQip, 96. 

Siena, 218. 

Sierra Leone, 122. 

Sieyes, Abbe, 167. 

Sigismund, Emperor, 64, 123, 195. 

Sigismund of Poland, 251. 

Sikhs, 137, 141, 204. 

Sikkim, 172. 

Silesia, 5, 38. 

Silistria, 3, 205. 

Sillery, 23, 167. 

Sindhia, 198. 

Sixtus IV, Pope, 191. 

Slavs, 135. 

Slidell, 259. 

Smith, Adam, iot. 

Smith, Joseph, 168. 

Smith, W. H., 179. 

Sobat (River), 2, 91. 

Sobieski, John, 278. 

Socinus, Laslius, 237- 

Soleure, 231, 252. 

Solferino, Battle of, 272. 

Solway Moss, Battle of, 18. 

Somers, John, Lord, 134. 

Somerset, Edward, Duke of, 214. 

Sophia, Electress of Hanover, 231, 
244. 

Sophia of Russia, 243. 

Sorate, 213. 

Soudan, 2. 
Soudan, French, 91. 
Soult, Marshal, 272. 
South Africa, 93, 142. 
South African Republic, see Trans- 
vaal. 
South America, 19, 41, 86, 103, i25» 
126, 147, 165, 177. i85» 213. 



INDEX 



303 



South Australia, 20, 92. 

South Carolina, i77. 185, 228, 242, 
252. 

Spain, 3. 4. 7. 8, 9, i3» 16, 19, 21, 23, 
25, 28, 44» 47, 53» 67, 75, 88, 90, 
93, 102, 103, 109, 117. 119, 126, 
127, 130, 132, 134, 140, 150, 160, 
167, 168, I74» 187, 189, 198, 205, 
220, 222, 223, 225, 232, 234, 239, 
256, 261, 267, 269, 270, 271, 272. 

Spencer, Earl, 165. 

Spencer, Henry, Bishop of Norwich, 
94. 

Spithead, 176. 

Stambulofi, 6. 

Stamford, 95- 

Stamford, Statute of, 205. 

Stanton, Secretary, 250. 

Stanislas Augustus of Poland, 22, 
248. 

Stanislas Leszczynski, 197- 

Stauffacher of Schwyz, in. 

Steele, Sir Richard, 139. 

Stein, Freiherr von, 85. 

Stellenbosch, 116, 142. 

Stephen of England, 275. 

Stephen, Sir George, 142. 

Stephens, James, 92. 

Stettin, 277- 

Stevens, Uriah S., 139. 

Stockholm, 33. 

Stork, I. 

Strafford, Earl of, 253. 

Strasbmrg, 36, 99, 221. 

Stratford, Archbishop of Canter- 
. bury, 192. 

Strode, WilUam, 95. 

Strogonof, 261. 

Stuart, Charles Edward, 98, 219,280. 

Stuart, Henry, Cardinal York, 143. 

Stuart, James Edward, 19, i79- 

Suabia, 19, 116, 144, 191, 236. 

Sujah-ul-Mulk, Shah, 234. 

Siilly, Due de, 145- 

Sulu Islands, 8. 

Simgari (River), 140. 

Sunni, 233. 

Surabjah Dowlah, 31. 

Surat, 25. 

Surat, Treaty of, 205. 

Surinam, 38. 

Sutlej (River), 264. 

Suwarrow, General, 132. 

Sweden, i, 4, 11, i7» 19, 24, 27, 33» 

40, 100, 109, 114, 115, 116, 137, 

143, 151, 163, 171, i77» 217, 232, 

242, 252, 255, 260, 265, 276, 277. 



Swift, Dean, 279. 

Switzerland, 14, 25, 46, 50, 75, 84, 
92, 106, 107, 108, III, 117, 126, 
142, 144, 146, 152, 162, 187, 193, 
194, 210, 222, 225, 229, 231, 249, 
252, 270. 

Syria, 134. 

Szatmar, Peace of, 208. 

Sze-chuang, 10. 

Szell, M., 20. 

Taepings, 89. 

Taganrog, 140. 

Tahiti, 36. 

Tamerlane, 94. 

Tandy, Napper, 171. 

Tarapaca, 9. 

Tarras, Earl of, 132. 

Tartars, 107. 

Tasmania, 20, 92. 

Taylor. General Zachary, 179. 

Tekes Valley, 140. 

Tel-el- Kebir, Battle of, 13. 

Tenby, 192. 

Tennasserim, 280. 

Tenno, 164, 233. 

Teschen, Peace of, 103. 

Tetzel, 126. 

Texas, 61, 112, 151, i75- 

Theiss (River), 122. 

Thibet, 71, 76, 250. 

Thiers, A., 99. 

Thistlewood, Arthur, 49. 

Thomas, Duke of Genoa, 222. 

Thomond, 34. 

Thorfinn Karlsefne, 8. 

Thorn, 197. 

Thurgau, 231. 

Tichbome Case, 55. 

Ticino, 130. 

Tientsin, Treatv of, 192. 

Tiflis, 118. 

TiUy, General, 153, 156. 

Times, Tke, 189, 228. 

Tipperary, 173. 

Tippu Sahib, 159, 230, 260, 261. 

Tobago, 270. 

Toggenburg, Cotmts of, 249. 

TokoU, 34, 140, 141. 

Toledo, Francisco de, 147- 

Tolentino, Treaty of, 21, 145 • 

Tone, Wolfe, 174, 266. 

Tongking, 31, 99- 

Tomea (River), 100. 

Tortona, 271. 

Toulouse, 6. 

TouranShah, 113. 



304 



INDEX 



Touraine, 38. 

Tournay, 4, 24. 

Townsend (Bow Street Runner), 

36. 
Transvaal, 3, 13, 42, 47, 77. 79» 80, 

III, 131, 136, 151, 157, 167, 173, 

200, 202, 2t8, 224, 245, 246, 253, 

259. 267, 273- 
Trent, Council of, 203. 
Tresham, 112. 
Trevelyan, Sir George, 219. 
Treves, 228. 
Trieste, 130. 
Trinidad, 9. 
Tripoli, II. 

Trivulzio, Marshal, 106. 
Tronchet, 58. 
Tsung-li'Yamen, 274. 
Tugela (River), 171. 
Tuileries, 60, 250. 
Tunis, 23. 
Turcomans, 278. 
Turenne, Marshal, 205. 
Turgot, 83, 236. 
Turkey, 3, 5, 14, 21, 24, 27, 28, 41, 

47, 64, 67, 71. 72, 115, 145. 151. 

170, 174, 187, 190, 209, 218, 230, 

234» 235, 246, 255, 263, 266, 271, 

275» 280. 
Turriff, Trott of, 261. 
Tuscany, 88, go, 97, 154, 181, 232, 

271, 272. 
Tuscaroras, 236. 
Tutuila, 223. 
Tweed, W. M., 262. 
Tweeddale, Marquis of, 240. 
Tycoon, 233. 
Tyler, Wat, 198. 
Tynan, 128. 
Tjrrconel, Earl of, 263. 
T5n:ol, 130, 271. 
Tyrone, 263. 

Uganda, 2. 

Ukraine, 41, 47. 

Ulrich of Wiirtemburg, 43, 262. 

Ulster, 34, 73, 82, I77» 181, 191, 

263, 264. 
Umzimvubu (River), 171. 
Under hill, Edward, 121. 
United States, Civil War, 66, 114, 

115, 130, 231, 243, . 
United States Congress, 6, 32, 61, 

85. 97. 102, 136, 171, 181, 198. 

211, 234, 250, 278. 
United States, Political Parties, 2, 

5» 47» 56, 66, 88, 91, 92, 94, loi. 



113, 115, 134, 147, 149, 170, 177, 
179. I99» 214, 238, 240, 248. 

United States, War of Independ- 
ence, 69, 74, 126, X79, 236. 

Unterwalden, 193, 225. 

Urban II, Pope, 23, 48, 56. 

Urban VII, 124. 

Urbino, Duke of, 10. 

Uri, 193, 225. 

Uruguay, 22, 33, 196, 259, 261. 

Ushant, 107. 

Usher, Bishop, 30. 

Usibepu, 173. 

Ussuri (River), 4. 

Utah, 84, 168, 169. 

Utrecht, 266. 

Utrecht, Treaty of, 24, 99, loi, 261. 

Utrecht, Union of, 266. 

Vaal (River), 81, 174, 259. 

Valais, 225. 

Valencia, 21, 105. 

Valtelline, 167. 

Van Tromp, Admiral, 121. 

Vancouver, 182, 223. 

Vane, Sir Harry, 125. 

Varas, Secretary, 168. 

Varna, 3, 205. 

Vatican, 29. 

Vatican Council, 186. 

Vaud, Pays de, 146, 256, 274. 

Vehmgericht, 178. 

Vendee, 53, 177. 

Venezuela, 147, 180, 227. 

Venice, 3, 34, 39, 44, 45, 47, 64, 

90, 107, 119, 130, 149, 150, 174, 

190, 201, 202, 206, 218, 230, 249, 

254. 269. 
Verden, Duchy of, 242. 
Vermont, iii. 
Verona, 205. 

Versailles, 99, 105, 126, 178, 187. 
Versailles, Treaty of, 191. 
Victor II, Pope, 226. 
Victor Emmanuel of Italy, 12, 130, 

208, 225, 226, 229, 262, 272. 
Victoria, 20, 22, 32, 85, 89, 92, 100, 

133. 142. 
Victoria, Queen, 26, 184. 
Vienna, 2, 70, 255. 
Vienna Congress, 92, 105, 152. 
Vienna, Treaty of, 198, 232. 
Viglius, 65. 
Vikings, 8, 28, 221. 
Villeroy, 23. 
Villiers, Charles, 12. 
Vimiera, Battle of, 54. 



INDEX 



305 



Vinegar Hill, Battle of, 17 5- 
Virginia, 21, 35, 42, 89, 109, 126, 

150, 161, 169, 178, 179, 252. 
Vogel, Sir Julius, 173. 
Voltaire, Arouet de, 3, 87, 224, 229. 
Vryheid, 173. 

Wade, Sir Thomas, 52, 97. 
Wagga Wagga, 55. 
Wagram, Battle of, 271. 
Waibling, 112. 
Walcheren, 49. 
Waldemar I of Denmark, 8?. 
Waldemar II of Denmark, 72, 135. 
Waldemar III of Denmark, 274- 
Waldo, Peter, 274. 
Wales, no, 208, 215, 255. 
Walfisch Bay, 10. 
Wallace, Sir William, 114. 
WaUachia, 3, 5, 27, 121, 140, 246, 

273» 275- 
Wallenstein, General, 153. 
Waller, Sir William, 229. 
Walpole, Horace, 139, 264. 
Walpole, Sir Robert, 109, 190. 
Walsh, Peter, 12, 213. 
Waltheof, Earl of Nottingham, 39. 
Wampanoags, 138. 
Warbeck, Perkyn, no. 
Ward, Nathaniel, 34. 
Wardha (River), 75. 
Warren, Sir Charles, 168, 257. 
Warsaw, 238, 255. 
Warwick, John Dudley, Earl of, 137. 
Warwick, Richard Neville, Earl of, 

138, 143- 
Washington, 45. 
Washington, George, 43, 53, 89, 91, 

279- 
Waterboer, 136. 
Waterloo, Battle of, 225. 
Waters, Lucy, 31. 
Wealth of Nations, loi. 
Wedmore, Treaty of, 72. 
Weinsberg, 112. 
Weisshaupt, Adam, 123. 
Wekerle, Dr., 54. 
Welf, 112. 

Wellesley, Marquis of, 28, 244. 
Wellington, Duke of, 54, 129, 225, 

256, 278. 
Wellington, New Zealand, 173. 
Wells, Sir Thomas, 152. 
Wenama (River), 269. 
' Wenceslaus of Luxembourg, 133. 
Wentworth, Lord, 48, 118, 176. 
Wessex, 276. 



West, Rev. John, 20. 

West Africa, 118. 

West Indies, 152, 175. 

West Virginia, 169. 

Western Australia, 20, 92, 120. 

Westminster Abbey. 67. 

Westminster, Statute of, 240. 

Westphaha, 178, 236, 255, 268. 

W^estphalia, League of, 204. 

Westphalia, Treaty of, 252. 

Wetherell, Sir Charles, 39. 

Weyler, General, 209. 

Wharton, Thomas, Marquis of, 134. 

Whitgift, Archbishop, 141. 

Wilkes, John, 177. 

WilHam I of England, 39, 52, 70, 71, 

78, 82, 87, 188, 193, 273. 
William II of England, 43. 
William III of England, 16, 18, 29, 

55. 57, 66, 72, 74, 77, 118, 148 

149, 171, 175, 176, 179, 192, 203 

209, 211, 220, 256. 
WiUiam IV of England, 234. 
WiUiam I of Germany, las. 
William, Prince, of England, 32. 
William of Orange, 12, 115, 234, 

245. 278. 
William of Salisbury, 152. 
William (the Lyon) of Scotland, 90. 
William of Wykeham, 108. 
WiUiams (the Chartist), 51. 
Wilmot, Commissary General, 15. 
Wilmot, David, 278. 
Winburg, 174. 
Wmchester, Statute of, 257- 
Winchilsea, 54. 
Windham, William, 165. 
Windischgratz, General, 201. 
Windthorst, Dr., 50, 264. 
Winter, Thomas, 112. 
Wisconsin, 21. 
Wiseman, Cardinal, 175. 
Wolfe, Sir H. Drummond, 98. 
Wolseley, Viscount, 209. 
Worcestershire, 104, 274. 
Wiirtemberg, 105, 202, 215, 244. 
Wvcliffe, John, 150. 
WycHffites, 82. 
Wyoming Valley, 279. 

Yakoub Beg, 19. 
Yap, 47. 
Yarkand, 140. 
Yoens, Jan, 51. 
Yokohama, 8. 
Young, Brigham, 168. 
Yunnan, 10, 186. 



3o6 



INDEX 



Zankoff, 6. 
Zanzibar, lo. 
Zaragoza, Agostina, 156. 
Zeeland, 79, 105, 245, 266. 
Zemindari, 193, 220. 
Zisca, John, 16, 44, 123, 246. 
Zittau, 236. 
Zola, Emile, 80. 



Zoroaster, ivSg. 
Zug, 84. 
Zululand, 171. 
Zurich, 46, 53, 84, 231. 
Zurich, Diet of, 92, 152. 
Zurich, Treaty of, 130. 
Zwingli, 46, 116, 181. 
Zwinglists, 213. 



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